Let Me In
by PARADISE.x
Summary: Her life is falling apart. She's bullied, her father-even though abusive-is dying, her grades are plummeting. Then he moves in; the deliciously mysterious misfit who's handsome onyx eyes seem to stare into her soul. He was an enigma-a puzzle she'll do anything to solve. But there's always a catch, and something's wrong with Natsu. Rated M for adult situations, language and lemons!
1. Part 1 of 4

**Title: Let Me In**

**Author: PARADISE.x but you can just call me Parrie-chan~!**

**Rated: M for language, heavy violence, graphic violence, adult content, strong sexual activity, alcohol usage, mentioning of drugs, and major character death.**

**Summary: Her life is falling apart. She's bullied, her father-even though abusive-is dying, her grades are plummeting. Then he moves in; the deliciously mysterious misfit who's handsome onyx eyes seem to stare into her soul. He was an enigma-a puzzle she'll do anything to solve. But there's always a catch, and something's wrong with Natsu.**

**Genres: Romance and Horror….add on tragedy, hurt/comfort, angst, and supernatural and you've got this story in a nutshell!**

**Characters: Natsu and Lucy**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail nor its characters, they all belong to the magnificent genius Hiro Mashima-dono. I am not profiting off of this unless if you count reviews as money. I am doing this for entertainment purposes, and I also do not own the ideas taken from the great movie 'Let Me In'.**

**WARNING, THE ACTIONS DEPICTED IN THIS STORY ARE ILLEGAL AND EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. PLEASE DO NOT TRY ANY OF THE ACTIONS MENTIONED. YOU WILL MOST LIKELY DIE. This story was based off of the great movie 'Let Me In', except Natsu's the vamp and not Lucy. So…gender bender, I guess? In the movie, the vamp was a chick, but I already have too many stories where Lucy's a 'baddie', I guess you can say, and I did not want to add on one more.**

**This will be 4 chapters long, like my other story 'Gone Away', with **_**extremely**_** long chapters, especially the last one. I am planning to put lemons in this, but I might change my mind like I did with 'Gone Away'. It just sounded better without them. Hopefully I'll be able to ;D –perverted wink-**

**Well, I hope you all enjoy my newest short story 'Let me In'!**

**[Also, I know the song 'Possum Kingdom' by Toadies isn't about vampires, even though it really sounds like it. The only reason I am using it as a theme for this story is because it does sound a lot like a vampire dude wanting to turn a girl into a vampire so they could be together forever.]**

**OoOoOoO**

_I'm not going to lie,_

_I won't be a gentleman,_

_Behind the boathouse,_

_I'll show you my dark secret._

_-Possum Kingdom;Toadies_

"Stupid Lucy!" Their feet dive into her stomach, over and over again. It hurt all over, a white-hot frenzy flashing across her ivory skin that was already decorated with healing bruises and scabs. What did she do to deserve this torture? All she did was voice her opinion on a singer, and she gets punished so terribly for it? A fist comes crashing against her head and she bites back a scream. It would only get worse if she screamed; this she had learned the hard way many beatings ago. It was the same with her father, he hated hearing her voice. But who wouldn't? She had an awful voice, so high-pitched and squawky. She hated her voice; she hated her skin and most of all she hated herself. Why couldn't she be born someone likable? Did Kami-sama hate her that much?

"This'll teach you to speak unless spoken to!" The one named Angel screeches. She wears a grotesque jeer on her otherwise beautiful face. Why couldn't she be pretty like her? Why did she have to be so _ugly_? Angel kicks the blonde again, and her toe catches underneath the girl's ribcage, making her hold back another loud yelp. _No screaming, no crying, no screaming, no crying, just wait until it's over, Lucy!_

"I saw you makin' eyes at my man!" Sherry, a girl from her fourth period class, yells in her face and proceeds to slap her while doing so, "How about I rip them out?!" She then claws at her face, drawing blood with her perfectly manicured nails.

She winces but does not say a word, only shuts her eyes tightly. She never looked at anybody! They obviously wanted an excuse to continue to beat her. _They'll be done soon, Lucy, just hold in there! _Her fists clench as Angel and Sherry punch her in the gut at the same time, and the two laugh as she doubles over in pain. She falls to her knees and begins to cough horribly in to her hand, a sound quite like music to their ears.

"Isn't that quite enough, girls? We're going to be late to class, and you're hair's all messed up!" The squeaky and overly annoying voice of one named Minerva speaks up, looking on with a nonchalant glare. She is inspecting her nails with a bored look. Just like that the kicks and punches and slaps and clawing stop, and the two minions skip cheerfully back to their ringleader. Minerva looks over at the girl's crumpled form with a disgusted look, "Pathetic girl. Come on, girls!" She snaps her fingers and just like two dogs, Angel and Sherry follow behind her as she trots away, leaving the blonde girl on the cold, marble floor.

She does not move for a long time, in case they came back. She draws in shuddering breaths and tries to ignore the blood in the palm of her hand. Ever so slowly she allows her big brown eyes to snap up, inspecting the area of further threats. There was none so the girl hesitantly gets up on her two feet. She hurt everywhere, in her stomach, in her chest, in her head, in her legs, _everywhere_. She just wanted this all to end! The bell begins to ring, a sound that made her head shriek in pain, and she knew that she was going to be late for class again. The teacher would be so furious with her! She had to get there as quickly as she could. She reaches over to where her bag as been tossed-thankfully they had not plundered it and ripped up her homework as they usually do-and picks it up by the long strap. She tosses it over her shoulder and tries her best to walk without limping. She has perfected hiding pain. Why wouldn't she?

She has been hurt so many times.

But it's okay. It's always her fault. She always gets herself into those situations. It is her fault she is ugly, it is her fault she is stupid, it is her fault she is annoying.

She reaches up and tries to fix her hair the best she could, tying some strands into a tiny side ponytail with a red ribbon. She loved the color red, it reminded her so much of her mother. Her mother had been red when she died in her arms. She plasters on that fake smile as she reaches into her shirt pocket and pulls out a pink handkerchief already stained with dried blood. She uses it to wipe her face of crimson as she continues along down the empty hallways of her high school. She tucks the hankie back into her pocket again and tucks her button down shirt into her skirt's hem line. Luckily the school uniforms had not a single article of clothing that was white, so no one would notice the blood stains on her collar. She pulls her jacket tighter to her chest, begging for the warmth it brought. It used to be her mother's jacket, before she passed on, and it gave her comfort. She tightens her hold on her bag as she finally approaches her classroom door, that fake smile still in place. She reaches up and knocks, hoping that she was not interrupting an important lecture again.

She hears footsteps approach and the door swings open to reveal a white-haired beauty. Her teacher, Miss Mirajane Strauss. She feels her smile turn genuine as Miss Mirajane smiles softly at her, "Oh Lucy-chan, I was worried you were sick! Go ahead and get to your seat! Quickly now, we haven't got all day." Miss Mirajane chirps sweetly and the late blonde rushes past the older woman and into the classroom. Many eyes were on her, and none were friendly. That's okay, she didn't deserve friendship. She bows her head as she shuffles down an aisle. She sees a foot stick out and she knew that if she stepped over it, it would result in more beatings. Just tripping was far better than a beating! So, still with that smile, she closes her eyes and feels her foot catch on the other. She comes tumbling down like a boulder and she lands on her knees. That was a better landing than she thought it would be! Usually she lands on her face!

"Oops, _sorry_, Lucy-san." A voice sniggers crudely, and others join in the giggling. She stares at the ground for a moment before she lifts her head up and flashes an almost blinding smile at the young boy who tripped her.

"No problem, Bora-san! It was my fault, I didn't see your foot there…" Lucy says cheerfully, a little _too_ cheerfully, and she wobbles as she stands up, the effort making her body scream out in pain. It took everything she had not to collapse again as she moves towards her desk in the back of the room. She was grateful to sit next to the window, where she could sit and daydream about a world that doesn't want to hurt her.

OoOoOoO

The bell at the end of the day signals the start of the weekend, a God-send to kids everywhere, but it was even more so to Lucy, who could not wait to get home and into her room where she planned to read all night long. Hopefully her father wouldn't be home until Sunday from the doctor's so she wouldn't have to watch what she says and how she acts so that he wouldn't get angry. He was really scary when he gets angry.

She walks down the sidewalk with her bag slung over her shoulder and her fingers laced behind her back. She walks quickly, as if afraid that she was being apprehended, towards her apartment complex in the slums of Magnolia Town. Her father was rich once, but that was a long time ago. He says that she caused it, that she was the reason that all his money was gone. She believed that, after all, everything is her fault.

She sees the tall, broken rooftops in the distance and she picks up the pace. She didn't exactly trust this part of town. She runs past toppled over trashcans, their contents littering the blackened sidewalk, disgusting yards-some even were decorated with tacky pink flamingos and big pieces of furniture. She continues to run as one rather _large_ man catcalls out at her from his place on his dirty front porch. She was used to older and disgusting men calling out to her in such a vulgar manner, and had just learned to ignore them. She knew that they would be the only ones in her lifetime that would want to look at her, and they would look at _any_ type of woman! Cars race down the street-a race was in action-and one just about bites the dust inches from where Lucy was standing. She doesn't even blink as she rears back and scampers around the vehicle. This place, no matter how filthy it was, was her home and she knew how to get around it. She was used to anything it had to throw at her, including a giant Mustang automobile that just about flattened her.

Finally! Her apartments were in sight! Just another block ahead and she would be home-free! She could already see its broken down playground, the dead trees that have already lost their leaves in the bitter winds of early Autumn. She welcomes the saddening sight and begins to pant from running so long. She was in good shape, yes, but her limbs and chest were screeching in pain from the beating she took earlier, and she knew that her face was swollen from being slapped around and scratched. All of this causes her to be slower than normal as she reaches up to grasp her throbbing shoulder.

She comes to a stop in front of the run-down metal outer gates and reaches over to unlock them. She swings the bars open and continues inside, shutting the gate behind her. It relocks with a loud _click_. She sighs softly, her breath a grey cloud as it rises into the icy cold air around her, and continues along onto a deserted pathway that lead up to some stairs that in turn made a walkway to the front door of her humble abode. She allows her legs to cease their dramatic pumping, and she comes to an abrupt walk, feeling much safer in her apartment complex. No crime has ever happened in this one place, not since the 30's, and Lucy felt as if it were the most secure place on earth. Nothing could jeopardize the feelings of comfort she got from the concrete stairs and the metal bars. Nothing at all…

_What a boring life you live, Lucy._ A mean voice mutters in her head. It always came around when she thought she was safe, always reminding her to stay on her toes. Everyone was mean and dastardly in the world, everyone but her mother, of course, so she needed to stay vigilant. They could attack at anytime, sensing her weakness and cruelly torturing her until she grew bitter and cold like them. She could not allow that, for if she does, she knew that she would simply cease to exist. She rolls her head back, cracking the bones in her neck. She sighs in pleasure as she reaches the front door to her apartment unit. She could not wait to go into the kitchen, cook her up some Ramen, plop down on the couch and watch some TV. All week she has been wither studying, cleaning or working and she really needed a break. Her tired and sore limbs just couldn't handle it anymore!

Good thing her father wouldn't come back until Sunday.

She quickly reaches into her bag for her keys, grasping the cool metal and bringing them up and out of the warm crevasse of her messenger bag. She bumbles for the right one, and sticks it into the lock, turning it and effectively unlocking her door in one smooth motion. She enters her home and takes the key of the look and throws them back into her bag. She closes the door behind her, throws off her shoes and jacket, and walks fully into the living room of her apartment, basking in the familiar scent of her 'fresh ocean breeze' scent spray. She throws her bag onto the rickety old chair next to her front door and walks further into her living room, stretching by throwing her hands in the air and cracking her back. She sighs in pleasure once again and continues on to her kitchen where she opens the cabinet and looks for the Ramen noodles inside. She grabs one and closes the cabinet again and goes over to her oven. She flips on the burner before fetching a metal pot from underneath her counter and filling it up with tap water. So they still had water? Dad was at least paying for that? Good.

She walks back into the living room and practically collapses onto the beaten up and stained sofa. She stares at the blank TV with an equally indifferent face before closing those big brown eyes of her's. She hurt everywhere, in her arms, her legs, and her face; everywhere they had beaten her so mercilessly. How could a person do such a thing? She chuckles humorlessly. What a stupid question to ask! In this world, there was not one single ray of sunshine left, oh no, the sinners and the liars and the cheaters and the rapists and the beaters got to that far long ago. There was no more hope in the world, and the very thought made Lucy laugh. There was no hope in the world, just as there was no hope for her. She knew this well.

So why did she feel as if she was still waiting for something?

OoOoOoO

Those Ramen noodles had tasted delicious. They were chicken flavored, her favorite kind. She lounges on her couch with a bloated stomach, sipping delicately from a glass of cheap grape wine that was so bitter it could make all your teeth fall out, but she didn't care. She was used to this type of wine considering it was the only type her father ever bought for her. He bought the more expensive alcohol for himself and forbade her from touching it, and the one night she tried he had beaten her so badly she thought she would need extensive care-something that her father would never allow her to get. She smirks at her ceiling and takes another sip. She wasn't usually the type to drink, but she just felt like it tonight. Fortunately she wasn't the one to get drunk easily, so one measly glass of wine wasn't going to get her tipsy. She takes another gulp and sets the now empty glass down. She grimaces and runs her tongue down her front teeth as if trying to scrape off the flavor. That wine sure did have a bad aftertaste! She bets that her breath stinks and she chuckles loudly as she heaves herself off the lumpy cushions of her couch. "Okay, Lucy, time to get active!"

She walks over to the sink with her wineglass and puts it gently in the sink, knowing her punishment if she were to break the priceless heirloom. She runs a hand through her messy, golden hair and turns on her heel, walking towards the front door where she left her shoes and jacket. Along the way, she begins to think to herself. _Hm…didn't some people move in last night? Wasn't it a man and his son? Hm…well whoever they are, they better not cause any trouble for anybody or I'll call the police! _She nods to herself but deep down she knew the cops didn't give a rat's ass about this part of Magnolia. If they could, they would cut off all ties and let them all kill and hurt and steal from each other. Nobody liked the slums of Magnolia, not like Lucy cares. She thinks back to seeing the moving truck pull in, and the strange duo that had stepped out of the car that came before it. One of the two had a hood over his head, so she couldn't see what he looked like, but by his size he had seemed to be her age, but with boys how could you really tell? The other was an older man, in his late 40's, with raven black hair and striking ebony eyes. He may have been a bit old for Lucy's taste, but he sure wasn't lacking in good looks! Lucy had watched them enter their new apartment-which was _right next to her's_- with only two beds and a table from her window before she decided to mind her own business and return to making dinner for her and her father. Usually with new families moving in you would hear a lot of noise on the first day, but strangely enough there was none. She had contemplated going over there and introducing herself but she knew it would be all in vain. She knew a boy of his physique would soon be accepted by the bitches and skanks at school, so what was the point being nice to someone who was just going to go with the flow and hurt you in the end?

She opens the door to her little loft and smiles at the feeling of cool air on her face. She loved the cold. The wine pulses hotly through her veins as she steps out onto the stairs and closes the door behind her. She turns and locks it with her key before shoving it back into the pocket of the pants she had changed into while her Ramen had been cooking. She walks down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. Most families would be eating dinner right about now and she was sure the last thing they wanted was excess noise from the outside. When she reaches the ground she smiles wistfully, and begins her trek towards the run-down playground in the center of the apartment complex. She looks up at the sky as she walks with bored eyes and she turns a corner. She brings her head down to see the gates to the playground. It didn't take that long to get here. With a body warm from alcohol Lucy opens the gates with loud _creak_! and continues on inside, not even bothering to close it. Her mind returns to the two men who had just moved in.

_I wonder if the boy will go to my school. I hope he doesn't get too messed up…he did look kind of big though, so maybe he'll blend in with the football crowd and become popular…_ She thought to herself as she sits down on the only intact swing. She glances around the broken playground and scowls. They should really fix the place up for the poor children who lived here. She begins to swing slowly, pumping her legs back and forth gently. She finds herself glaring holes into the ground, _then he'll probably bully me too, and he might do it here! No, I cannot allow that. They might get me at school but they and their taunts will not reach me here! _She thought to herself with gusto.

She didn't even notice someone slip past the gate.

"Of course if he did I could just tell his dad and he would probably be forbidden to even speak to me…" She mumbles to herself while gnawing on the inside of her cheek. She winces as she bites too hard before staring up at the black sky once again. She could almost _see_ the smoke and pollution from the city and she scowls darkly, _I hate Magnolia_. She takes a delicate sniff of the air, and could smell the grogginess of the town. She knew there were nicer parts; she's seen glimpses of them, but all her life she has lived in the slums, and it was hard to imagine such thing as a smoke-free neighborhood.

"Can you smell it too?" A deep voice speaks up from behind her, just about scaring the poor girl half to death. She bites back a scream and only lurches forward in her swing seat. She turns around to lock eyes with a tall teenage boy with untamed, bed-head like…pink hair? Even though she was so amazed by this-no one in the slums could afford the dye to make their hair _that_ pink!-she forces herself to scowl instead of gawk.

"What the Hell?! Don't just sneak up on someone like that; you could've scared the life out of me!" Lucy hisses, standing up from her seat and placing her hands on her hips. Now you would think she would be intimidated by a boy randomly appearing behind her in the middle of the night in the middle of the worst part of town, but she's seen far scarier things than this boy.

He shrugs as if it couldn't possibly matter and says in an amused voice, "I doubt a girl living in this place would be scared to death by just one guy." He has a deep voice, and it resonates in her ears. It sounded…nice. Lucy now crosses her arms across her chest and stares into his striking onyx eyes. They had this playful glint in them, one that made her feel safe to be around him. She lets her eyes wander up to his hair and her mouth shapes into a tiny 'o'. He looks at her strangely and says in his gruff voice, "Oi, what's with you?"

"Sir, may I ask why you have _pink_ hair?" The blonde asks, pointing up at his light red locks.

His face actually goes _red_ and he exclaims in a childish voice, "I-it isn't pink, it's _salmon_!"

A tiny giggle escapes Lucy's pink and slightly chapped lips, "Sure, whatever you got to tell yourself~! I say it's pink."

If she thought seeing a young man with _pink_ hair was strange, just think what she thought when he started to _pout_, "It's salmon…" He crosses his big arms across his chest and looks away with a rather _adorable_ pout on his face.

Lucy watches him before giggling again. She found this boy funny! His eyes widen when she shoves her hand out in a friendly manner. She wanted him to shake her hand, "I'm Lucy! Lucy Heartphilia!"

The boy stares at her hand for a moment before his pout is replaced with a tiny, lopsided smile-something that just about took her breath away, "Natsu Dragneel." He encloses his big hand around her petite one and she notices that his hand was just as scarred as her's was, if not more. Now these she earned as punishment for talking back to her father, but she was sure he probably got them working.

After giving his hand a shake she smiles hugely at him, "That's a cool name, summer…"

"Yeah, my old man gave it to me. Lucky he did, my mom wanted to name me Derrick!" He chuckles and Lucy can't help but laugh along with him.

"So, are you the one who just moved in? Apartment 125?" Lucy inquires with curious brown eyes. She sits down on the swing seat again and crosses her legs together-one over the other.

Natsu Dragneel nods avidly with a grin on his face. She liked him more and more as the seconds passed, "Yeah, me and Gray."

Lucy cocks her head to the side, "Gray? Who's that?"

Natsu puts his hands behind his head with his elbows towards the sky, "My dad, I guess. More like brother if you ask me."

She was confused by this yet she says no more about it because by the look on Natsu's face he did not feel up to talking about this 'Gray'. She plays with the hem of her jacket and peers up into his face once again, taking his features in more precisely. He certainly wasn't bad looking…she would even go so far to say he was handsome! He has a nice chiseled chin, a strong jaw, and those nice cheekbones, that pair of stunning onyx eyes that seem to stare right through her…_oh my Kami, this guy is more than handsome! He's a fuckin' god! Keep it cool, Lucy! You've dealt with hot guys before…sure they weren't talking to you but…_

Natsu raises one pink eyebrow, "What are you looking at?" He says quite rudely and Lucy scowls at him.

"I was wondering if you dyed your hair."

He answers this question with ease, "Nope, it's natural!"

"What a strange hair color…let me guess, one of your parent's hair was red and the other's white?" Lucy suggests and leans forward with a tiny smile. She was enjoying speaking with him. Suddenly, his onyx eyes turn sad and loose that youthful playfulness. Her frown goes deeper and she says, "Oh, I am sorry, you must not like to talk about your parents…" Her voice was barely a whisper and she truly felt sincere regret for bringing it up. It almost hurt her physically to see this beautiful boy sad.

Her apology reaches his ears and he is smiling that 30-watt smile at her again, "No problem, Luigi!"

_Luigi? Who the Hell is Luigi?! _She questions in her mind before finally getting that he simply messed up her name. She scowls darkly at him, "My name's Lucy! L-U-C-Y!" She spells it out for him and crosses her arms across her chest once again, a habit that she picked up from her mother whenever she was displeased.

Natsu chuckles merrily before saying, "Sorry, Luce!"

Now he was calling her yet another name? _Luce? Is that a…nickname…? Oh, I've never had a nickname before…_ She stares up at him with huge eyes, "L-Luce?" She murmurs half to herself but somehow the boy hears it. He nods avidly at her, reminding her of both an anime character and a child. He was so…_comical_! Everything he did was in the extremes! _What a strange boy…_

"Yeah," his voice breaks her out of her train of thought, "that's what I'm gonna call you, okay?"

Slowly Lucy nods her consent. She tries to fight back the red that was blossoming across her face. She didn't want him to see that she was moved by him using a term of endearment with her. Not even her own mother called her anything but her name, so this was all very new to her. "Yeah, L-Luce…I like it…" She says in the strongest voice she could muster.

To her surprise he reaches over and ruffles her hair playfully, an action that causes her to freeze, "I'm glad you do. Hey…" He leans over and gets in her personal space without a second thought. Her face goes even redder and he says, "…ain't you tired? I mean, it's midnight and I'm pretty sure humans like to sleep at night." _Humans? Why would he say something weird like that? _She thought to herself before she smiles.

"I don't get tired easily. Add on the cheap-ass wine I drank and it just adds fuel to my fire." She didn't really mind him being this close to her. He seems really nice, and if anything she wanted him to get _even_ closer. _He is very cute…_ "So, are you going to start going to school? You can't be older than 17."

He smirks at her, "I _am_ 17, and no, I'm homeschooled." He gestures to his apartment that was right next to her's. She follows his line of sight to the unit to see that all the windows had been covered in cardboard, drapes and other materials until not a single ray of sunshine would be able to get through. She frowns quizzically at this and looks back at him.

"Why are your windows…?"

Natsu scoffs and brushes this off with a simple wave of his hand, "Gray's got this superstitious nature, says that the air here is bad and will only allow us to live here if the windows are boarded up, the crazy nut." He chuckles and Lucy chuckles along with him, ambit a little more nervously than him but a laugh all the same. _That is very strange…_he_ is very strange…just who are you, Natsu?_

"Natsu…" Lucy looks at the ground.

"Yeah?" Natsu looks at her.

She takes a deep breath, "I'm glad you won't be going to my school. It really is a horrible place." She has not once let her face go into the dim light of the street lamps for a reason. She didn't want him to see the bruises and scratch marks that marred her skin-but now she stands up from the swing and moves forward a bit. He does not move from his spot and stares at her face in awe. She frowns deeply, an action that hurt, "They do horrible things, and I am positive that if you go, you will most likely blend in with the popular crowd and hurt me too. 'Cause I'm the school kick mule, y'know?"

His breath-taking onyx eyes were wide with surprise. Was he not expecting something like this from a pathetic little girl like Lucy? He hesitantly rises up his hand, as if to touch her face, before deciding against it and letting his big hand fall back to his side. He blinks a few times as if he didn't know what she said before saying in a gruffer tone than normal, "They did this to you?"

Lucy shrugs, "A few bitches from some classes I have…plus one boy who tripped me, but that didn't really hurt." She sniffs, the cold air finally getting to her. Her nose was beginning to slowly run and she couldn't feel the tip. Her cheeks were bright red, inflaming the cuts and making the bruises even uglier. She is reminded of the pain she felt and her frown turns into a grimace.

"Huh." The pink-haired lad states and he stares off into the sky, giving Lucy a nice view of the beginning of his neck. The rest was covered with a thick, strange scarf. Were those…scales? She had a feeling if that scarf was gone she would be looking at a slender, pale, delicious neck…_enough with the perverted thoughts Lucy! _She thought to herself hurriedly and her face goes even darker. Yet even so, her eyes were still attached onto him, taking in his appearance. He is wearing a loose and enormous black sweatshirt that hung off of him as if it were another skin, and baggy, dirty jeans leading down his long legs to…bare feet? Wasn't he freezing? Her eyes snap back up to his as he speaks again to find that he is still staring off into the distance, a look so beyond his 17 years that it makes her weak-kneed. He looked so absolutely fascinating in this one moment that the picture sticks in her brain, something she would never forget. "I forgot that humans are so fragile…and yet so strong…" He mutters, but she hears it. Every last word.

Her eyes go huge and she says suspiciously, "What are you talking about, Natsu?"

Just like that he breaks out his trance and swivels around to look at her with huge eyes, "Hey Luce, can you promise me something?" He looks so excited, a big smile on his face. He was back to that childish nature he possessed, and she can't help but smile softly at him.

She puts her hands behind her back and cocks her head, not too sure on whether or not she should promise a boy she met in the middle of the night something-and knowing Lucy, she would keep her word. She was just wired like that. She clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth before her smile grows larger and she says, "Depends on what it is!"

"Meet me here every night!" He exclaims with a cheerful aura.

"Eh?" Lucy blanches. No one has ever wanted to be near her more or less meet her at an old, run-down playground every night! She blushes furiously and thanks her lucky stars that she moved out of the light. She rubs the back of her bruised neck and smiles nervously at him, "Uh, sure, I guess…I'm cool with that…"

Something is stuck into her line of vision, an outstretched pinkie? She looks at it and then back up to its owner. He smirks broadly down at her, "Promise?" He wiggles his finger as if beckoning her.

She can't help but giggle as she hesitantly brings her hand up. _Can you trust him, Lucy? _She questions herself and even though she had her doubts, she really needed friends. _Well, it can't hurt Lucy! What's the worst that can happen? _And she curls her pinkie around his, almost shocked by just how _cold_ the appendage was! _How can any normal human being be this cold?! _She thought to herself with a confused look on her face.

Natsu curls his own finger around her's and shakes her hand up and down, sealing the deal. "Great!" He lets go of her and puts his hands casually in his pockets, leaving Lucy with her hand outstretched like an idiot. She quickly runs a hand through her messy hair and smiles faintly at him.

"Every night, eh? I'll try my best, a-and I may not come out until way late." She says in her weak voice, and for a moment she is reminded of this one girl in her class, one that has never laid a single finger on her-or has even talked to her for that matter-, a super shy girl named Aries. She was dating the playboy Loke, who was also the captain of the football team. She thought that he would just fuck her than throw her away like the rest, but by rumors they have gotten pretty serious, and Lucy has become accustomed to watching the two walk down the school hallways hand-in-hand. Now she had the feeling that they had a love found only once in a lifetime, and she prayed to Kami above they were smart enough to keep it.

Natsu nods his head, drawing attention to his spiky pink hair once again, "Okay! I'll just wait out here for you."

She glances down at his feet again, taking in the dirt and the filth that coated them. It was as if he _never_ wore shoes! She frowns deeply and looks back up at him, bringing up her icy hands and placing them on her nice hips, "Young man, why don't you have any shoes? You could get so many horrible diseases that way! Humans wear shoes for a reason!" She lectures like a teacher, or a parent, narrowing her pretty brown eyes at him.

He glances down with a look that said he didn't even know he didn't have any shoes on, "Oh! Where did my shoes go? Oh Kami!" He suddenly wails, throwing his hands in the air, startling Lucy. She yelps in surprise as he grumbles, "I better not be catching Gray's perverted habit! I'll kill him!" He begins to pout again, and she chuckles softly.

"Perverted habit?" She inquires.

He nods and sighs, "My guardian," he says the word with great distaste "tends to strip of his clothing at random intervals."

At first she could not believe it. She begins to laugh but at Natsu's straight face she stops and sweat drops, "A-are you serious?" She exclaims, "What a strange thing to do!"

Natsu nods, "He's such an icy weirdo…" He mutters half to himself and Lucy bites back a laugh.

"Icy? Natsu you keep saying the weirdest things!" Suddenly she unleashes a big yawn, stretching her arms high above her head. She hadn't even noticed how cold it had gotten, and her limbs felt as if they were going to turn into icicles! She tries to hold back the shivers yet fails, and she sniffs deeply again. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she knew the tiny buzz from the wine she had earlier was gone, leaving her wiped out. She yawns again and wraps her arms around her torso, trying to keep in the warmth. Why did she leave her hat at home? It would have been so helpful right now…

"Luce," She looks up to see Natsu staring at her with eyes made of fire. Eyes that made her knees weak and her mind blur, "you're tired. Go on and go home, I'll see you tomorrow night, okay?" He says in his masculine and _utterly sexy_ voice. She denies, shaking her head and just as she was about to voice her reason for wishing to stay with him, he raises a hand to silence her. He flashes a tiny smirk at her, "I'll see you tomorrow, Lucy. Until then, yeah?"

Lucy stares at him a while long before nodding her head, "Goodnight then…Natsu…" She turns around, towards the gate of the playground, and begins to trek towards it, trying to block out the cold and the feelings of exhaustion.

"Lucy!" He calls out to her and in a split second she turns back around so quickly it made her kind of dizzy. He is watching her with amused onyx eyes and he smirks broadly, "Sleep tight, don't let vampires bite!"

_Huh? _Lucy thought to herself. What a strange thing to say! "Stop saying such weird things, loser!" Lucy calls out affectionately to him with a tiny smile of her own. Natsu pouts and crosses his arms across his chest.

"I ain't a loser! You're the loser…loser!" Is his comeback and she laughs joyously.

"Yeah, whatever! Goodnight~!" She says in a sing-song voice before turning and running off, making sure she looked good from behind as she did so.

As she closes her apartment door behind her, it takes everything in her not to squeal in joy. A boy, a _hot_ one more or less, had _talked_ to her, and asked her to visit him every night! She's never had a friend before…was he a friend? She sighs dreamily as she locks her door and sways into her room, eyelids drooping with every step she took. She thinks back to that look he had…how _old_ his eyes were…like they've seen so much more than any other 17 year old has. The thought of it excites her as she slips off her Converse tennis shoes and sneaks into her room, being quiet out of habit. She always has to be quiet when her papa was sleeping if she didn't want to get him angry. She hated it when he got angry-he was really scary when he did.

Sinking onto her big mattress clad with pink sheets she stares up at her white-painted ceiling with a look of peace on her face. _I cannot wait until tomorrow night…_ And she falls into a deep sleep with thoughts of a certain salmon-haired boy still floating around in her head.

**OoOoOoO**

**Thanks for checking my story out! It is really hard to make a 'mysterious' Natsu…really hard. Whenever I think of a vampire Natsu, I immediately think of a boy who will walk up to you and say, "Hey, you're my best friend now, and by the way, I'm a blood-sucking vampire that loves to sneak into your bed!"**

**Yeah.**

**Haha, well I hoped you all enjoyed this! Review and tell me what you think!**

**PARADISE.x**


	2. Part 2 of 4

**Hello everyone and welcome to part 2 of Let Me In! I want to thank everyone for all the reviews and support! This also means you, ones who just favorite and never review! Favorites help me out too. They let me know I'm doing something right, so thanks. **

**Okay, so about the whole Natsu being a vampire, he is more of a ****monster than a vampire****, yet he still drinks blood….you'll see, just wait until NEXT chapter….or this chapter, I ain't sure yet…he is in ****no way, shape or form a Twilight vampire****. He doesn't sparkle like some stripper in the sunlight, oh no he fuckin' burns like any food I try to cook! He is not some 'veggie' vampire who drinks animal blood. Oh Hell no, he ****drinks and **_**eats**_** humans****! He doesn't just suck their blood, he **_**rips them to shreds**_**.**** I know you already know he's going to 'fall in love' with Lucy and all that shit, but trust me, their relationship is going to be based on everything but innocence, because NO ONE is innocent in this story. Everyone has done horrible things, and this includes Lucy, but she has done less than most.**

**So, once again, ****NATSU IS NO TWILIGHT VAMPIRE, HE IS A MAN-EATING, GREAT WHITE SHARK TYPE OF VAMPIRE THAT IS NOT AFRIAD TO GET HIS HANDS DIRTY TO GET WHAT HE WANTS**** [that includes Lucy being one of the things he want ;D]. Thank you for understanding~!**

**Hope you enjoy this installment of Let Me In!**

**OoOoOoO**

_Make up your mind,_

_And I promise you,_

_I will treat you well,_

_My sweet angel._

_-Possum Kingdom; Toadies_

"Simple, I would push that guy off the bridge for being so stupid as to ask me to jump off a bridge!" Lucy answers with vigor, a big grin on her face. She holds the swing chains lightly, swaying back and forth on the playground attraction. She looks up with sweet brown eyes at the boy who makes her laugh so easily-she has already come to trust him as deeply as to share her darkest secrets with him. Never before has she felt this close to another human being, and she met him only yesterday! He towers over her even when she is standing but that doesn't frighten her in the slightest. His onyx eyes were sharp and seem to stare right through her but she was never intimidated. He wears all black and often pulls up his hood making him look like a delinquent but did that stop her from socializing with him? Not at all. To her, he was perfect in every way, from his spiky pi-_salmon_ hair to the tips of his bare toes. He never did tell her why he didn't wear shoes and shamefully she was kind of afraid to ask. Natsu didn't really like to talk much about his personal life and always managed to get her off of topic whenever she would ask a question relatively close to what he does when he's not here with her. It was as if he was _trained_ to know how to get around questions, or as if he had done it before. No matter, Lucy didn't really care what he did. He was a good man and she was really taking a liking to him.

"Is that so? Well I'm glad you aren't a follower." He chuckles softly and stares into her eyes with his own sharp ones-the ones that made her knees weak and thankful she was sitting down. He was currently standing up straight in front of her with that playful grin on his face she has already come to love. The playground was dimly lit by far away streetlights, casting eerie shadows on the walls and ground. Earlier, when she had come down around midnight, she hadn't even noticed him in the darkness. For a second time since meeting him, he had scared the ever living shit out of her by saying her name in a low voice and grabbing her shoulder to get her attention for she had waltzed right past him. She had thought he was a rapist and even whapped him across the head! After realizing who she had hit, she had apologized profusely while Natsu had complained about how much his head hurt and how Lucy was so mean to him.

_I wonder what time it is now. I really should get a watch…._ Lucy thinks to herself as she looks at Natsu with curious eyes, "As if I have anyone to follow…anyway, do you know what time it is?"

Natsu shrugs and glances at the horizon, "Dunno, don't really care. Why, you getting' tired?" He looks at her again. Was that….concern in his gaze? She shrugs it off. No one has been concerned about her wellbeing since her mother died.

Lucy shakes her head quickly and smiles hugely at him, "Hardly! I slept _all day_ today! Not a single productive thing was done!" She giggles at this and begins to swing, making the boy back up and out of her way. He walks around to sit on the swing beside her's and looks at her amusedly.

"I see. Do you have anything planned for tomorrow?" He questions while watching her swing carefully.

She doesn't answer for a moment, getting caught up in her own thoughts. For a few minutes all that can be heard between the two is the screech of the rusted swing moving back and forth, back and forth. _Father comes home tomorrow….is the house clean? Yes. Are the bills paid? No. I got fired from my job for being late… father will not be happy about that. I hope he doesn't hurt me too badly…oh who am I kidding? It is always the same. I won't be able to think straight for days afterwards….should I tell Natsu he is coming home? Would he want to meet him? Father won't like that; he doesn't care much for boys. Oh God, what do I say? _The silence was getting very uneasy, so Lucy says, "Nothing is happening tomorrow." Her voice was quieter than usual, alarming Natsu. He stares at her for a long moment and his grin falls from his face.

"Luce…you can tell me anything." He whispers as if afraid someone would overhear.

_Eh?_ Her brown orbs snap to his onyx ones and she just about falls off the swing. No one has said anything like that to her in her entire life! His tone was so understanding and forgiving…he was such a sweet boy…_but he is still a little strange…_A little? He was _more_ than strange-and what was up with his apartment? Why were his windows so covered with cardboard that not a single ray of sunshine could get in? Why didn't he bother to put on shoes in the morning? And why the _hell_ was his hair _pink_?! Not knowing things tend to make Lucy one unhappy camper, and it was no different now. She can't help but scowl darkly, surprising the poor lad beside her. She looks away and says, "I barely know you, Natsu. I don't know anything about you…" And idea suddenly comes to her, and she turns her head to look at him again. Wearing the cutest smile she could muster, she says silkily, "You should tell me about yourself, and in return I'll do that same…a perfect way to break the ice!"

The young man scoffs and looks at her with those eyes, "Ha, what ice?" While he continues to talk about just how much he knew about her, which was surprisingly more than what she thought, she stares off at the horizon. Unlike last night, she was no longer cold for she had been smart enough this time to wear a thick coat, mittens and a hat. She smiles adorably at how warm she felt and snuggles into her jacket.

She glances at the horizon again and to her surprise she sees the first rays of sunshine stretching into the sky. She looks over at Natsu with a questionable look when he suddenly stops talking, "What's the matter, Natsu? Hey, do you want to watch the sunrise with me?"

He is staring off into the horizon one second, and in the next he is on his feet, quickly stammering out, "I-I really need to go."

Lucy can't mask the look of hurt and confusion on her face, "Why? It will just be really quick, I promise!"

Natsu clenches his fists and points his back to the sun, gazing directly into her brown eyes. The look his onyx orbs…was one of panic. He reaches out and puts his hands on her shoulders, "Sorry, Luce, I just really gotta go. My, uh, dad told me to be home before dawn, so…"

_He's lying to you…_A voice in the back of her mind says and she knows it is true. She stares at the ground for a moment with hooded eyes before she looks up at him again with a huge smile, "That's okay, Natsu! I'll see you tonight, okay?"

He could not be more relieved. He sighs and smiles at her, "Thanks Lucy. See you." He then takes off running towards the stairs that led up to his apartment, as if trying to race the sunlight that was slowly illuminating the world. She watches after him with a look of hurt before she stands up and sighs heavily. _I wonder what that was all about…_She thought to herself before she too went to her apartment.

OoOoOoO

He slams the door shut behind him with a look of relief on his face. He sighs heavily and looks into the dimly lit apartment with a small frown on his face. He glances around disinterestedly and walks further inside. The hurt look on Lucy's face sticks in his mind, making him grind his sharp teeth together. He felt so bad for just running out on her like that, but he had to.

He doesn't quite like sunshine.

Natsu knew that any second his best friend will come running out scolding him on how close he was to being caught in the light of day. He didn't have any real excuses this time. What was he supposed to say to him? "Sorry, Gray, I was too busy being infatuated with a human girl whose eyes shine like the stars and whose hair is as golden as the sun itself?" He scoffs at the thought and runs a hand through his peculiar spiky salmon hair and glances around again with his sharp onyx eyes. Once again an image of the young blonde woman rushes through his head making him loose focus. He imagines her smiling up at him, saying his name with that sweet voice of her's, touching his chest with those dainty hands…he quickly shakes his head, not wanting to think any perverted thoughts of his new friend. _But she's just so beautiful…_he thought to himself. Of course, he's had his fair share of women, but they've all been sluts he didn't give a rat's ass about. He's been kissed by many lips but has never really _kissed_ someone. He wasn't a virgin, per say, but he never truly _been_ with someone before. He wanted to experience that at least once in his eternal life…just once….

"_Natsu Dragneel!_" He hears the yell and immediately he winces, preparing for the worst. _Shit._ He slowly turns towards the hallway that led towards the bedrooms to see a half-dressed man in his mid-30's. He is scowling darkly with his fists clenched tightly at his sides, "Do you know how _early_ it is?!"

Natsu scratches the back of his head nervously and says apologetically, "Whoops, sorry Gray! I guess I didn't realize what time it was until the sun started coming up!"

Gray narrows his ebony eyes at the pink-haired boy and says, "Whoops? _Whoops?!_ You know what happens when the sun rises and you're still out there! Or do I have to read you every vampire story _out there_?!"

"I'm sorry, okay?!" Exclaims Natsu, he too starting to lose his head. Both he and his best friend/guardian get in each other's face looking as if they were about to start fist fighting. "I was kind of busy!"

This is news to Gray. Usually Natsu has nothing to do. His face contorts in anger and he snarls out, "Oh really? Doing what?!"

If Natsu's blood was still rushing through his veins he would've blushed at the image of Lucy that decides to pop up in his brain at that exact moment. This one was of her giggling at some joke he cracked, blushing and looking full of life-without those bruises that she had. The thought of those bruises only fuels his fire and he finds himself clenching his sharp teeth together and growling low-almost like an animal. Gray knows to back off when Natsu gets like this so he takes a few steps back and turns on his heel. He crosses his arms across his broad chest and closes his dark eyes. Natsu looks at him and quickly says, "N-no, Gray I wasn't angry at you. I was just remembering something that makes me upset."

Gray turns towards him again and looks at him curiously, "And what would that be?" The pinkette looks away from the piercing eyes of his best friend and mumbles something incoherent. Gray leans in with a tiny smirk, "Excuse, I have human ears so I couldn't hear that." Natsu once again mutters, a little louder but still indistinguishable to the half-dressed male, "Hm?"

"Bruises on the face of a girl I met!" Natsu exclaims angrily and he crosses his arms across his hoodie covered chest.

Gray stares at him for a few moments, eyes wide, mouth hanging wide open and too shocked to say a word. Then, ever so slowly, a delighted snigger escapes him, "Oh my God…did my little Natsu _fall in love with a girl_?"

Once again, if Natsu's blood still ran he would've blushed the deepest shade of red imaginable. The young man stomps his foot on the ground like a child and says, "N-no, I did not! I don't love Lucy!"

"Oh so Lucy's her name? How pretty." Gray retorts with another snigger.

"H-hardly! Nothing about her is pretty! Certainly not her name!" Says Natsu, trying to save himself but only digging a deeper hole for himself.

Gray can't hold it in any longer. He begins to laugh loudly, "Little, little Natsu's all grown up! He's fallen for a _human girl_!"

"Shut up! And where are your clothes?!"

OoOoOoO

Today was the day. Her father would be home any minute from the hospital and Lucy finds herself pacing in her living room, anxious and a little bit scared. She glances at the clock on her oven. It was 7:54 P.M.; luckily she had managed to get some sleep earlier before cleaning the apartment top to bottom. A millions questions zoom through her head at once and she focuses in on a few. What would her father do when he got home? Will he be happy or angry from what the doctors told him? She bores holes into the dirty tan carpet as she treads, dreading the moment when he would walk through the door.

A clink of keys, the familiar scratch of a key sliding into a lock and the doorknob turning….she turns towards the door with eyes of a deer caught in headlights. Anxiety and panic mixed claws up her throat, making her feel as if she was going to vomit all over the place. The door slowly opens to reveal a tall man with thinning white hair neatly combed back giving him a rich look. Unlike his hair, though, he is wearing the clothes of a poor person. A dirty yellow t-shit that may have once been white, baggy pants covered in stains and held up by a dark green belt. His face was weathered down from years of stress and he looked far older than he actually was. Lucy watches him enter and attempts to keep a persona of calm. He closes the door behind him and sets his keys down on the tiny side table beside the door. He fully enters the apartment, strolling right past Lucy not even bothering to glance at her. She watches after him carefully, not daring to do anything to upset him. He goes into the kitchen, opens up a cabinet and retrieves a stained glass. He turns to the sink, fills the cup with lukewarm water, brings it to his lips and drinks it. He only sets it down once he swallowed all the water. He lets out a heavy breath and wipes his mouth of any wetness before turning to his daughter. He takes in her bruised face and asks, "Lucy, you're face is covered in bruises. Those kids at school again?"

Lucy tries to wet her dry mouth but can't. She slowly nods and says in what she hoped to be a strong voice, "Yes, father."

Her father stares at her a second longer before smirking and scoffing, "You really need to stand up for yourself." He then turns and begins to walk towards his dingy room.

Lucy watches him before hurrying after, "Um, father…"

"I'm tired, Lucy." Says her father exasperated.

"B-but what did the doctors s-" Lucy is cut off by a fist slamming into her face, throwing her to the ground. She lands in a heap, hands immediately going to the wounded area. Her teeth clench painfully as she tries to rid herself of the pain. Tears begin to roll down her cheeks yet she tries her best to hide them from him. He hated it when she cried.

"_Shut up, Lucy!_ I am fucking tired! The doctors said I am going to die in three months, okay?! Now get the hell out of my sight you pathetic little _whore_!" Her father, Jude Heartphilia, screeches at her, kicking her in the abdomen. The air is snatched from her lungs and she curls up into the feeble position on the floor, holding her stomach and trying so hard not to scream. Her father turns and stomps into his room, slamming the door shut behind him. The sound resonates in her ears and she whimpers softly while wishing she could be anywhere but here.

Lucy stays on the ground until the pain subsides. She slowly unfurls herself and glances around warily as if afraid her father would suddenly run out and attack her again. She bites back cries of pain as she heaves herself off the ground on noodle arms. When she is finally standing she staggers over to the fridge and opens the freezer. That hit to the face left her dazed and the entire world was spinning. Her father really had a right hook on him. Lucy reaches inside the cold and grabs an ice tray, shutting the door shut once she did. She limps over to a drawer and pulls it open. She gets a little zip-up bag and throws the ice inside. She leaves the ice tray on the counter since it was out of ice and presses the bag of ice to her face. Her stomach flares in pain at every move she makes and she makes sure to keep her face expressionless for every twitch she makes white-hot pain zips through her, rocking her to her core. She was all too familiar to the pain and after many trials and errors she knew how to deal with it. She goes to the couch and sits down, closing her pretty brown eyes tightly. She lets out a long breath while staring into the darkness behind her eyelids. If she hadn't just been hit and wasn't hurting all over, she would feel pretty peaceful at the moment. Why wouldn't she? Her abusive father _is dying_! She felt overjoyed at the thought of finally being rid of that low-life scoundrel for good! Just three more months of hell then finally…finally she would be free.

Of course, there is the problem of how she was going to take care of herself. She was 17 so there was the possibility of being placed in a foster home. She heard stories of places like that and how they weren't any better than being with abusive parents. Hell, sometimes they were even worse! In seven months her birthday will roll around, and then she will be 18 and legally an adult! She would just have to evade the government and child services until then, and she'll be home free! The thought of living on her own makes her giddy and she finds herself giggling softly into her hand. She smiles beautifully, even with all the bruises on her face, and opens those chocolate brown eyes of her's.

_Can you hear me momma? Soon we'll be free. We'll live together forever and ever, always happy._

OoOoOoO

It was 11:23 P.M. Lucy throws on her jacket and mittens, excited about talking to Natsu again. These habits may leave her tired during the day but she couldn't care less. She had fun with Natsu and she never wanted it to end. _Gotta be quiet, gotta be quiet_…She thought to herself as she slips on her shoes, trying to be a silent as a mouse. She did not want to wake her father who was asleep in the other room. She knew that he catching her sneaking out would just result in another beating. She had enough pain for the week, after all the bullying and her father's grand entrance. She was so looking forward to unwinding with Natsu down at the playground. After she gets her shoes on, she launches to her feet, eyes sparkling. She could not wait, she could not wait, she could not-

"Lucy, where do you think you are going?" Her father's deep voice speaks up from behind her, stopping her in her tracks. _Shit, fuck, damn!_

Her hand, that was already on the doorknob, freezes. She goes still and she forces her face to go impassive. She slowly turns around and makes eye contact with her father. _Now how should I approach this?_ Usually she would immediately tell the man where she was going in fear that he would catch her lie and hit her, but not this time. He told her to stand up for herself? That is exactly what she is going to do, "Why do you care?"

Jude stares at her for a long moment, dark eyes boring into her's. In the past she would have backed down by now, cower even, but she refuses to do that now. She had to grow up and stop being so frightened of the world. So she stares right back at him, forcing her eyes to look bored and disinterested. They stay that way for a few seconds, Lucy's heart beating wildly in her chest, before he opens his mouth to speak, "Don't be too late." Then he turns on his heel and proceeds back to his room, shutting the door behind him.

_Oh my God….that actually worked?!_ She thought to herself, giddy at the fact that she finally stood up to her abusive father. Maybe after this he'll stop beating her! Maybe after this he'll stop calling her names and treat her as fathers should treat their only child! Maybe, just maybe, her life will become so much better…

She didn't know how wrong she was.

Lucy opens her front door and struts out, closing it in her wake. She keeps the look of indifference upon her face until she reaches the bottom of the stairs to her apartment complex, where she finally smiles a huge and excited smile. She practically _skips_ to the playground, wanting nothing more than to see Natsu's grin and to hear his deep drawl. She didn't know why, but she felt a very strong connection to him, as if they had known each other for a longer time than three days. _I-I can't be…_falling_ for him, right?_ She thought to herself as she opens the gate and walks further into the playground. She glances around for her new friend and decides to wait on the swings for him. She sits down and glances up at the stars that twinkle in the sky. For once she was thankful for there being next to no streetlights in the area so she could see them clearly. She sighs happily and giggles softly, entranced by the diamonds in the night sky. They were so beautiful…if only Natsu was here with her so they could both watch them. Where was he anyway? She glances around, her smile beginning to fade into a frown. He promised he would come every night, _she_ had promised she would come every night. So why wasn't he here yet? Usually he was here before her…where was he?

She begins to worry for his safety, her imagination materializing thousands of horrific scenarios where Natsu stars lead role, from muggings to paranormal catastrophes. _Don't get carried away, Lucy…_ she thought to herself as she imagines him being sucked of all his blood by some shadowy figure with large fangs, _vampires don't exist. _Yet still, she taps the slender fingers of her right hand on her kneecap, starring into the sky once again.

An hour passes by, still no sign of her friend. Those frightening reasons pop up into her head again, seeming less fictional as time went by. Maybe his father was abusive as well…what if a killer was slicing his throat right now? The thought makes her shoot to her feet feeling queasy with worry. _He has to be alright…_The sound of the chains on the swing screeching at the sudden movement makes her wince and her heart beat faster. She tries to laugh off what she was feeling but fails, looking towards Natsu's strange apartment. She ravishes it with her chocolate brown eyes, taking in every detail. Nothing out of the ordinary. Slowly she makes her way towards the gates of the playground, deciding to give up and come back tomorrow. If he even bothers coming tomorrow evening she would give him hell about worrying her so much and leaving her own in the cold for God knows how long.

Just as she was about to swing open the gate door, a hand encloses around her own. She gasps and looks up to be gazing into the onyx eyes of the very boy she was waiting for. The frown on her face morphs into a small smile and she says, "Natsu!" Natsu smirks down at her and tugs on her hand, taking her back over to the swings. She follows him more than willingly, so happy that he finally decided to show up. He sits her on a swing and stands in front of her, not saying a word and looking very happy. She cocks her head to the side and questions, "What's with you?"

He doesn't say anything.

She quirks an eyebrow before chuckling humorlessly, "Ha-ha, very funny. Not going to answer any of my questions? Fine then I guess you can just hear me rant."

Natsu nods his head with that same goofy smile on his face.

Lucy takes a deep breath, preparing herself. "Do you know how long I waited?!" She suddenly screeches. Natsu takes a step back and his smile turns to one of nervousness. "_An hour and a half_! I was worried sick about you! I thought you got in some form of accident! I guess this is what happens when I actually trust somebody!" She crosses her arms across her busty chest and looks away from him. He still does not say anything. She sighs heavily and looks back at him with annoyed eyes, "You seemed like the type of guy to stay true to his word so I waited forever for you." Her foot begins to tap, something that she does when she gets angry. She narrows those pretty brown eyes of her's and just when she was about to snap at him, she feels his arms circle around her. She goes still, hands clenching into fists. How long has it been since someone touched her like this? A dark blush comes to her face and she stutters out, "N-Natsu…? W-what are you doing?"

She hears him slowly exhale, and his breath travels across her ear, making her shiver. "I'm sorry…" He whispers into her ear. His voice was low and gruff, making something dance behind her navel and coil lower. The blush on her face intensifies ten-fold as she stares at the sky past his head.

"Y-yeah…a-a-apology accepted." She manages to get out, still surprised by how close he was. To her dismay he backs up, letting her go. He rubs the back of his head and smiles adorably, one hand in his black hoodie pocket.

"Oops, sorry about that. You just looked like you needed a hug!" He says goofily. Lucy rolls her eyes and smiles, an action that hurt the new bruise along the left side of her face. She winces despite herself and then catches her mistake. Natsu looks at her curiously, "You okay, Luce?"

_Don't let him see_. The thought immediately rushes through her head and she decides to heed it, turning her face to the side so that he could not see the purple and black bruise across her cheekbone. "It's nothing, Natsu." She says trying to sound stern and confident. She didn't know what he would do if he saw it or what he would think. Would he automatically know it was her father who dealt this to her? Or maybe he would think she got into a fight or something? Perhaps he would, if God really hated her as much as she thought, think she did this to herself to get attention. She prayed to the heavens about that he did not think that.

"Lucy." He says, sounding strong and far surer of himself than Lucy ever could be. She glances over at him to see him moving closer to her. He reaches over and grabs her chin and forces her to look at him. She begins to protest but he silences her with a cold look. He inspects her face, just barely being able to make out the fresh bruise in the dim light. His onyx eyes darken and narrow and he practically growls out, "Who did this?"

Lucy looks anywhere but him, trying not to show how intimidated she was by the anger he was radiating, "I-it's nothing, Natsu, barely hurt when it happened, I swear. It's not-"

"Who," He begins in a louder tone before it drops again, "did this. To you?"

"W-well, he didn't really mean it. It's my fault, I was the one being annoying, I-I'm sorry for getting hurt…I agitated him so it is only natural for him to hit me to get me to shut up…" Lucy tries to stop Natsu from being angry but her words only seem to infuriate him even more. A low sound comes from him, almost like an animalistic _growl_. The sound surprises her so much she whimpers and then tries to cover it up by clearing her throat.

"_Your fault_?!" He snarls out with a face contorted with rage, "How is this _your_ fault, Lucy?! Now I am going to ask you again, who did this to you?"

Lucy stares downwards, not daring to meet her friend's piercing gaze. She really wanted to tell him, she really did, but she didn't know what Natsu was capable of doing. He could attack her father! Sure, she was glad to hear that in three months he would be gone but still, deep down she loved him and didn't want to see him get _beaten_ to death by an angry teenage boy. Besides, she didn't want to see Natsu get locked up in prison for assault. He was the only friend she had and it would break her heart to see him behind bars with all the other low-lives. No, they didn't _deserve_ to even set eyes on this glorious boy who has shown her such kindness. Even now, as she takes a chance and glances up into his eyes, she can see the obvious concern underneath all that anger. _How long has it been since someone has been concerned about my wellbeing?_ She thought to herself before looking away again, "I-I can't tell you…"

Natsu stares at her, she can feel it, before finally giving up with a huff of frustration, "Did you at least put ice on it?" He lets go of her chin and stalks a few feet from her, obviously angry at bother her and himself for getting so angry. He curses under his breath as she begins to speak.

"Yes, I did. It felt way better after that…" Says Lucy shakily. Her eyes fix onto his back and she watches him force himself to calm down. He breathes heavily for a moment longer before his breathing slows to a normal pace. It was dead silent between the two more long minutes after that, neither one of them saying a word or even moving from their spots. The silence is broken, however, when Natsu turns back around and smiles that carefree smile at her again, startling her. _What is up with these mood swings?! _She exclaims in her mind while staring at him as if he grew another arm.

"You really should stand up for yourself more, Luce." He says as he puts his hands in his pockets. His dark eyes land on her's and he continues, "Stand up to whoever hit you and the bullies at your school."

For some reason, this makes Lucy angry, "And how can I possibly do that?!" She exclaims, "I'm not like you, Natsu, I don't have muscles or a confident attitude to back me up, alright?!" She crosses her arms once again and glares at him.

Natsu continues to smile, "I'm positive you can do it, and hey…" The smile falls a bit from his face and he leans in, as if he was going to tell her a secret. She finds herself leaning in against her will as he begins to speak in his low voice, "I'll help you if need be, okay?"

She stares at him for a split second before looking away again, "Yeah, okay…I guess I'll try tomorrow when I go to school…"

"Great!"

OoOoOoO

Meanwhile, in downtown Magnolia, a young woman is getting into her car after a long day of work at the corner of First and Maple Street. She hums a tune to herself, trying to ignore the scent of cheap perfume and sex that clung to her sweaty skin. She had just finished up with her last customer and was ready to head home to her grubby apartment a few miles away. She puts the keys into the ignition, turns it and her car roars to life. She then pulls out of the parking lot and zooms away, glad that she finally could go home. It was nearly one A.M., and barely anybody was on the road, even in this part of downtown. Her headlights illuminate the dark road ahead of her as she drives and she reaches over to turn on her radio. Immediately her favorite song blasts from the speakers, the volume turned up very high. She sings along to the pop song-it was one about this 'thrift shop' or something-and taps her fingers to the beat on her steering wheel all the way home.

When she pulls up to the deserted parking lot, she stops at her usual spot and kills the engine. She steps out of the car and onto the hard and wet asphalt of the lot. She shuts the door and clicks a button on her keychain, efficiently locking the vehicle. She begins to strut away, heading towards a large, dark building about fifteen meters from her. It was so dark out; she could barely see anything even in the dim light coming from the street lights far away that illuminated only a portion of the parking lot. She shrugs this off, already used to the darkness. She was nearly halfway there towards her destination when she hears it-a heavy footstep.

A chill runs down her spine and she quickly whips around, dark brown hair flying around her head like a halo. Her green eyes flit around nervously, taking in what she could see. There was nothing there. She stays still a moment longer before turning and walking again, this time a wee-bit faster. Her stilettos click-click-clacking against the hard ground unnerves her and she finds her arms circling around her own chest. She keeps her eyes on the large building, not wanting anything more than to be in her apartment in her shower washing away all the filth from her activities. She could not wait to wash both inside of her and outside, for she felt dirty in both places.

Was that another footstep? She turns around again, eyes widening in fright. She was beginning to panic. She glances around again before deciding to call out, "H-hey this isn't funny, asshole!" She hears nothing more after that. She rubs soothing circles into her arm and turns again, so close to her apartment complex she could smell what her Mexican neighbors had for dinner. _Just your imagination, Kristie…_she thought to herself quickly as she finally approaches the building. Her room was on the first floor and she easily makes her way towards it, all but running to get there. She was really creeped out by what she heard earlier but decides to brush it off as imagination as she approaches her door. It was labeled '09' by gold-colored tin nailed into the door. She quickly shuffles to get her keys and she inserts it into the lock, wincing at the familiar sound of it sliding into place. She slowly twists the knob and opens the door….

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a gloved hand comes down and clamps over her heavily-lipsticked mouth, turning the screech that ripped out of her into a muffled groan. She is shoved roughly into her apartment, with the hand still over her mouth. She hears her door shut behind whoever held her captive and the bolt turn. Tears leak out of her eyes as she listens to the rugged breathing of her assailant next to her ear. She already begins to plead for her life even though her mouth is covered and an arm circles around her chest, holding her in place. She begins to kick and fight back but the strength of the man is too much and she quickly loses energy. She slows down to a stop, breathing heavily through her nose and sweating profusely. Her captive holds her tight…then speaks, "Are you done?" His voice is deep, definitely one of a man in his mid-30's. She does not answer, only continues to sob into his already saliva-covered glove.

That's when she sees the knife.

Kristie's eyes go huge and she begins to fight again, screaming and crying hysterically. She repeats the same word over and over again, "_Please! Please!_" She screams her throat raw, until her chest hurts so much she feels like it was about to split open. _This can't be happening!_

"Shhh…" She hears in her left ear, a sound that should be comforting but is instead horrifically grotesque. "I'm so sorry…"

The knife comes to her throat and with one quick jerk of the wrist, the terrible deed is done. Blood gushes down the woman's chest and the murderer is quick to raise a large, clear plastic jug to the wound. The container begins to fill with the murky, crimson substance and when it is full, he swiftly brings up another that was attached to his hip. In the end, he only fills up about five before he sets the woman down on the already blood stained carpet as gently as if he were placing down a snoozing infant. With her throat still gushing blood, her eyes, still open wide with terror, are closed shut by his red-bathed fingers. He takes her hands and places them together on her chest, making her look as if she should be in a coffin, decorated with make-up and looking so at peace. The man turns picks up the jugs, three in one hand and two in the other; he exits the apartment room, locking the door behind him. Thankful for the absence of light, the killer makes his way towards his parked car at the very edge of the lot, far away from any light in the area. The cold night air pricks at his handsome face as he walks, dark ebony eyes holding only icy coldness. He needed to get home quickly before _he_ got irritated.

He places the jugs full of blood in the back of his car, making sure they were extra secured by bungee rope. He could not afford to spill the contents. He puts his keys into the ignition once he sits in the driver's seat and starts up the vehicle. With a low grumble the car takes off, looking as inconspicuous as a blade of grass in a prairie. He gets onto the main road, relishing in the fact that the kill was successful. Of course, he didn't figure she would fight so much. He had thought she would have been too scared to move-a lot of women like her were. He picked off _her kind_ because they were the easiest targets. Nobody cared about prostitutes. Cops don't really look into the murders of those girls because they have far more important stuff to do. He really picked a good time too, especially with that little white girl who disappeared not too long ago in the richer side of town. He was no racist but everyone cared about a little girl, especially a white one, over a hooker that probably had a drug addiction. Of course, _he_ didn't care if the person was on drugs or not. He always told the murderer that all blood tasted the same, no matter who it came from. One time he had asked _him_ if a person who had AIDs mattered and _he_ simply replied, "Aren't AIDs victims in hospitals? Why would you go there to get me lunch?" It had made sense.

While thinking about the poor lady he just murdered and how his friend might react, he realizes he needs to make a right turn, and quickly jerks the steering wheel around, swinging the car dangerously around. Many people honk at him but he couldn't care less, especially after hearing the sound of heavy things falling over in the back and a _swish_ of liquid being emptied from a container. He must have not secured them down as much as he thought! His ebony eyes go huge and he glances behind to see that all five jugs had toppled over, splashing the crimson gore all over the back of his car. "Shit!" He exclaims, knowing that he did not have time tonight to make another kill. He would have to go back and explain to his friend what had happened… "Fuck, God damn it!"

OoOoOoO

Natsu's head snaps up when he hears the familiar sounds of the front door being opened and slammed shut. He raises a pink eyebrow and walks out of his bedroom to see his best friend/guardian stomp into the household. He sniffs the air delicately and the scent that hits his nostrils makes his mouth water and his fangs poke out of his mouth, "Gray…you still have blood on your gloves…" He says, trying to keep himself from attacking his friend. Gray doesn't even look at him as he rises up one single drenched jug and sets it down on the counter of their kitchen. Natsu looks over at it in surprise and questions, "Gray…where's the rest?" His dark onyx eyes focus in on the tiny slosh of liquid at the very body of the container. He licks his lips before scrambling over and grabbing the thing, hoisting it up and to his mouth. His eyes flash gold as he greedily licks up the crimson with a probing tongue, practically moaning at the flavor that hits his mouth. But too soon the euphoria is over, leaving him not near satisfied. He slams the jug down and glares at Gray, "Where is the rest, Gray?!" He demands in an almost animalistic voice with eyes made of fire.

Gray glances at him before stripping of his gloves and bloody hoodie. He had tried his best to salvage what he could, but it was of no use. He lost all of the blood he had worked so hard to acquire. He was letting his friend go hungry, something that made him feel so horrible he could vomit. He knew how his friend got when he was thirsty. He sighs heavily before saying, "I got distracted…I'm so sorry." He clenches his fists and waits for his long time friend to explode, which he does.

"_What?!_" Natsu roars with eyes full of fury, "How in seven hells did you get _distracted_?! How could you let this happen?! I _need_ to feed, Gray, you know this!"

Gray nods quickly, "Y-yes, I know, please forgive me." Natsu snarls loudly, quite like some beast would before he turns towards the door and stalks towards it. Gray watches after him with huge eyes and exclaims, "Where are you going?!"

"Where the humans are." Is all he says before he slams the door shut behind him, and the sound makes Gray wince visibly. He stares at the wood door before shaking his head and sighing softly, _this is not good._

OoOoOoO

He was a man of about 24 years or so, with a clean shaven face and pretty baby blue eyes. He as of medium height and build, not too small and not too big, and he had the legs of a runner. He jogs along the side of the apartment complex building, looking forward to getting home to his mom. She could not know what he had just been doing; it would break her frail old heart. But man that woman was so _fine_ that he just couldn't help himself! After he was done with her he had thrown her clothes back at her and left, leaving her crying and bleeding on the ground. Did he care? Hardly. The bitch had it coming with the way she was dressed! He continues along with a happy look and feel to him, wondering if his mother was still awake and waiting for him. She often was. As he turns around a corner he comes face to face with a young man swaying about as if he were drunk. He raises an eyebrow and look over the man up and down. He didn't look that tough so if he tried anything, he was sure he could overpower him. He scoffs and decides to call out to the male, "Hey, man, you alright?" He does not get a response at first and the man keeps on moving closer, swaying back a forth. _What the fuck is up with this pussy? _He thought to himself as he watched him, "Yo, stay back or I might have to stick ya'." He says while pulling out a switch blade knife from his back pocket. Yet even so, the man continues to near him, "Hey, did you hear me? I'll stab you!"

Nothing, and then he hears a low and faint sound. It takes him a second to realize it is a chuckle. His eyes widen as the man begins to speak, completely sober, "Oh really?" The man lifts his head up, revealing the scariest sight he has ever seen. This man's eyes were complete gold, but not a nice shiny gold, more like a mustard-yellow type of gold. His mouth was filled with fang after fang, like a shark. They all come down to a deadly point that drips with saliva. His tongue darts out and licks along his thin and slightly chapped lips, smearing them with spit as well. The chuckle increases in sound to a laugh and the man mockingly smirks at him, "I'm _soooo_ scared~!"

The normal looking man, the rapist, backs up in fear and stupidly drops his switch blade. As if it would do anything for him anyway. He rises up his hands to defend himself and he stutters out, "W-what are you?"

The monster contemplates over this. Should he say something cheesy like 'your worst nightmare'? Or should he say something cool like 'the boogeyman'? He decides not to say anything at all and instead leaps forward at inhuman speed, grabbing the poor man by his throat and forcing him up against the brick wall of the apartment complex. The man begins to beg and plead for his life-they all do-as the beast's face moves closer and closer. His shark fangs shine brilliantly in the moonlight casting on the two as he takes his time with his prey. He was squeezing the man's throat so tightly that he could barely speak, more or less even scream. He had him right where he wanted him, helpless and terrified. His smirk broadens hugely as he decides to finally take what he wants.

His teeth sink into the man's shoulder, instantly breaking bone and gushing blood. The very taste of it throws him into a frenzy and he begins to rip and tear at the man, ridding of the clothes that blocked him from flesh. His claws rake down the man's torso, leaving many gushing wounds. The man tries to scream but can't in his hold. He is forced to watch in excruciating pain as the monster tears his stomach open and grabs at his intestines, even eating some of the stuff. What he really wants is the blood though, for he ingests most of that and whatever else gets in his way. His tongue snakes out again and licks all over the man's insides, moaning at the taste and feeling of guts in his hand. The tastes, the smells, the feelings…it was orgasmic! His breathing becomes labored as he reaches up, removes his hand and tears open the throat of the long dead prey with a sickening _rrrriiiiippppp!_ He laps up the juices that escape the torn appendage, and he forces the limp head up, breaking neck bones and snapping muscles and arteries. Oh sweet, sweet arteries that once used to contain blood now gushes it, filling him to the brink. He lets out a low moan at the flavor and smirks darkly as he feels his member twitch. Whenever he attacked personally he always got a certain _thrill _that usually turned into him having a hard-on **[A/N: Do not ask how, considering blood no longer runs in his veins! Just appreciate it!]**.

When the body was completely void of any more substance, Natsu turns and staggers away, licking his blood coated lips and smiling at the feeling of being full.

**OoOoOoO**

**How was that? Did you enjoy 'monster Natsu'? I know I did! I TOLD YOU HE IS NO CLEAN VAMPIRE! HE WILL EAT YOU! –cough- Anyway, thanks for viewing!**

**Review please!**

**Next up on updating list: Circus de Fairy Tail**

**PARADISE.x**


	3. Part 3 of 4

**Aye-oh, let's go! Hey everybody did you enjoy last chapter? Did you like monster Natsu? I loved writing it! Was it gruesome enough for you guys? I hope it was! I certainly enjoyed it! Don't worry, there will be much more where that came from, I swear!**

**Does anyone else get turned on by things that would be considered 'scary'? Dude, I just get so hot…I told my friend this as a joke, then she told my boyfriend who tried to get me to watch a scary movie with him! I laughed my ass off XD**

**Well, enough chit chat, onto the story!**

**OoOoOoO**

_Don't be afraid_

_I didn't mean to scare you_

_So help me, Jesus_

_-Possum Kingdom; The Toadies_

"A wound about three inches wide and six inches long across the next here…" The detective gestures to the limp body on the ground, eyes wide and unblinking, chest no longer moving with the familiarity of taking a breath. In all his years on the force he has never seen such a gruesome crime-and they were in Magnolia for Christ's sake! Some crazy shit happens in these parts, and the rumors of the vampire-like serial killer who stalks unwanted girls in the dead of night were just the icing on the seriously fucked up cake. He sighs heavily and writes some notes down onto his little notepad. _Mid-twenties….brown hair….green eyes…same wound as all the other victims of the Blood Killer…._ He looks up when he hears the familiar stomps of his partner, Detective Mason. He was a short, stocky man with black hair and pig eyes. But he was a credit to the force, so looks didn't really matter.

"The Blood Killer, huh, Gregory?" Mason says in his city-slicker drawl. He takes out a carton of smokes and offers one to his partner, but he rejects it.

"No thanks, Mace, I stopped smokin' when Barbra left me. Anyway, yep, same wound, same amount of blood taken…at least, I hope it was taken." Gregory shivers at the thought of some masked killer _drinking_ the blood of his victims. What a horrific sight that would be.

Mason smirks a bit at the small joke before turning serious again, "Do we know the victim?"

"Kristie Mori, a prostitute that works on the corner of East and Cherry street. She had been taken in a few times for her line of work…guess she decided on the wrong client." He falls silent and breathes through his nose. The bitter scent of smoke assaults his senses and he coughs lowly into his hand. He inspects the scene a little longer-how many women has it been now? Five, adding this new one. All crime scenes were missing two important components-substantial evidence and about five gallons of blood that should be leaking into the carpet. The media and the police dubbed this new killer the 'Blood Killer' as it is believed he steals the blood of his victims. It all started about a month ago, and already so many hookers were slaughtered. What was this guy's motive? Why was he doing this? What was the point he was trying to get across?

Little did Detective Gregory know that there was no point, the 'Blood Killer' just had a very special mouth to feed.

OoOoOoO

She slips on her uniform, buttoning up the front perfectly. She grabs the tie that goes with it and wraps it around her collar, tugging and bringing it to a stop just below her breasts. She looks into her mirror, seeing a broken girl with surprisingly bright eyes. Even though she was about to go to the most hated place on earth, her thoughts were only about a certain pink-haired boy that always seemed to invade her thoughts these days. A slight blush darkens her bruised cheeks as she thinks back to how angry he got that she was hurt. Did he care for her so much as to get so furious at the black and blue marks on her cheekbones? The thought of another human being **[A/N: 'Human being'] **actually giving a rat's ass about her made her giddy. She couldn't wait until tonight, when she would see her beloved Natsu…_beloved?! No, stay away from thoughts like that, he only likes you as a friend…and the same is for you, Lucy! _She mutters in her mind and she turns away from the mirror to grab her concealer and blush. She applies the make-up to her face with a professional eye, covering up the imperfections. She now inspects her face in the mirror again, this time seeing a young woman looking happy and cheerful. What she only wished she could be.

Lucy opens the door to her room and walks out easily. She sneaks past the shut door of her father's abode and into the kitchen, heading straight for the fridge. She would eat something and then she would leave. She glances at the clock on the stove-it was 7:20 A.M., she had enough time to eat cereal and then walk to school which opened at 8:30. She takes out the milk and grabs the drab cereal she had bought for fifty cents at the local corner store. She pours it into a little glass bowl and eats it with silky milk, enjoying the sweet taste and cold liquid. Once she is done eating, she leaves the bowl in the sink and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, pulling it back dry. She walks towards the front door of her apartment, bending at the waist to retrieve her shoes from the ground. She pulls them on and stands up full again, reaching for her bag and coat that are hanging on the coat rack. She puts on the jacket and throws the bag's strap across her shoulder, and then she unlocks her door and opens it up to the fresh, cold world. An icy blast hits her straight on and she sighs softly at the coolness. She loves winter so very much.

As she slowly turns and passes Natsu's apartment, she can't help but stop and look at it desirably. She takes in the sight of the boarded up windows and bleak black door. She hesitates a moment longer before lifting up her fist and knocking on the door so softly even she could barely hear it over the beating of her own heart. Why did she feel so apprehensive about approaching this place? Why did it give off a cold, unfriendly vibe? Why was she even bothering to knock when Natsu said himself that he would always be busy with working on his homeschooling? "Oh, he must not be there, oh well; off we go then, Lucy…" She mutters to herself nervously and turns to the side, preparing to start walking again. Just as she was about to take her first step, the sound of a bolt turning makes her freeze. Her brown eyes lock on the door as it slowly opens to reveal a tired looking older man with raven black hair and matching ebony eyes. They reminded her of Natsu's, except these were lacking the youthful mischief. He has dark bags underneath his eyes and obvious smile lines around his lips, yet even still with all these imperfections he was still a very handsome man, if you like them old. This must be Gray, Natsu's guardian.

He looks at her quizzically before a small smile comes to his face, "Oh you must be Lucy." He leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms across his robe-clad chest. Eyes once so dead looking now brighten with a look that should belong to someone much younger than he, "He certainly wasn't lying about how beautiful you are." Teases Gray with a light-hearted tone.

A dark blush comes to her face and she was sure he would see even underneath all this make-up, "Uh…h-he said th-that?" She resists the urge to play with her hair, a habit she did when nervous.

The older man laughs, something like music, and responds, "Yeah he actually did. Well, not flat out, but with how much stuttering and poor lying he was doing, I put the pieces together myself. So, why have you come knocking at our door?"

Lucy stares holes into the ground, "Well, uh, sir-"

"Please, just Gray."

"-Gray, you see, I don't really know, actually…." She confesses with a cute look of bashfulness on her face. He smirks at her knowingly, making her face heat up even more, "I-I just figured I would ask if I could talk to Natsu a sec, if he's free. I mean, I get it if he's busy or sleeping so, um…"

She feels something on her forehead and she glances up to see Gray smiling down at her and patting her head lightly, "Oh you're so adorable! Trying to hide your feelings for little old Natsu..."

"I-I have no _feelings_ for that bloke!" She exclaims with wide brown eyes.

Gray only chuckles and continues, "I love to see young love, but unfortunately Natsu is asleep right now. Come back later tonight. Perhaps you could hang in his room with him?" She could tell by the devious smirk on his face that he intended to make her blush and her heart beat faster.

"H-his room?" She murmurs, then she shakes her head quickly to shake off all the sudden perverted thoughts that plague her and she says, "T-thanks anyway, Gray, I-I'm gonna go to school now…." She turns to walk away but then she is stopped by another thought. She whips around and says, "P-please don't tell him I came by! It would be too embarrassing…" With that she races off, actually looking _forward_ to getting to school and away from all the embarrassment. Gray watches after her with a confused from on his face, before it slowly morphs into a devious smirk.

"Oi, Gray, who was that?" He hears in the safe darkness behind him.

His smile grows into a big grin as he answers, "The devil."

OoOoOoO

The school towers in the sky before her, giving her the familiar feeling of gut-wrenching nervousness. Her brown eyes immediately go to the ground out of habit, and she keeps her head low thankful for her thick hood. Her fingers tighten around her bag's strap as she hurries along up the stairs to the entrance of Fairy Tail Academy. She shouldn't have stopped and talked to Natsu's dad, it had made her a few minutes late. Of course, she felt glad that she finally met him…in a way it made the impression of being _closer_ to Natsu. Now she wasn't head-over-heels in love with him but…already she was getting interested.

_Hah…as if he would like a girl like you, Lucy…you're so pathetic and ugly. He just likes you as a friend…_ She thinks to herself dismissively, hoping to cast all dreams of Natsu ever seeing her as more than a friend from her head. She reaches out and opens the door to her school, racing in and walking quickly down the hallway. Her face was icy from the cold air of early December, and she couldn't feel the very tip of her nose. She was certain that her face was a rosy color as she turns down a hallway, heading the way of her first period class. She just had to get there and out of the ominous empty hallways and she would be fine…perfectly fine…

"Oh my! Look at our luck, girls."

_Fuck._

"Oh yes, Minerva, it's little 'Lucky' Lucy!" The squeaky voice of Angel spoke up from behind her and a shudder goes through her. Her most hated sound in the world…She goes rigged and comes to a halt, knowing that if she ran it would only become worse. Especially with all the weight of her jacket and bag on her chest she wouldn't be able to get far.

"Coming in late again, eh Lucy?" Minerva snipes with a gloating voice; probably thanking her lucky stars that she was lucky enough to come across her favorite punching bag. Lucy wonders faintly how long she could ignore them before they got angry at her defiance…not long apparently for in the next moment she feels a slender hand come crashing onto her shoulder, "Oi, look at me when I'm talking to you, skank!" She winces at the feeling of Minerva's hand on her shoulder before turning her head to make eye contact with her tormentor, something she hasn't done in such a long time. It obviously startles the older girl for her hand drops from her shoulder, "What's with you, why you so angry?"

_I have a million in one reasons to be angry. _She screams in her head but refuses to say out loud. She was sure she could take on just Minerva, but with her minions backing her up? She would be taken down before she really even got started. Lucy takes a step away from Minerva and mumbles, "Nothing is wrong with me." Her voice is low, petty, just like her personality. She hated it.

Sherry decides to join in with the displays of juvenile delinquency, a slimy smile spreading across her lips. She struts over, Angel not long behind, and comes to a stop behind their 'master'. Her eyes flash menacingly at the intimidated blonde and she hisses almost playfully, "Sorry, couldn't hear that, Lu-Lu!"

Lucy hated her so much. She hated her. She hated her. She hated her. She hated her. She repeats this in her head a few more times as she takes another step back, trying to get closer to the nearest classroom door that seems so far away. The three girls follow her, all with predatory looks on their heavily make-uped faces. She glances around, trying to find something or someone that could rescue her from the possibility of pain but she sees none. Her pocket knife she kept on her at all times was in her backbag. She was stuck out here with no defense-did she ever even have a defense against these infuriating bullies?

"Poor Lucy, all alone out here…maybe we should escort her to class, ladies?" Minerva sneers with a triumphant look on her face. Lucy really hated that face.

"Yeah!" Chirps loyally Angel and Sherry. The three move closer to her, their ringleader always in front of the other two. Minerva's cruel smirk catches Lucy's eye, and she feels something that hasn't ever been there before inside of her. It boils and eats away at her insides, clawing and fighting its way out. Rage, real murderous rage flows through her entire body, to the tips of her fingers and to the crow of her head. It scares her how furious she is, and she tries her best not to let it show. But she must have failed for Angel's eyes widen and she glances at Sherry, as if to see if she saw the look in Lucy's eyes, "Um, I think we should just get to class, guys…"

Minerva scoffs loudly and looks at her, "Why? We're just going to have a little fun before we go back to studying, no big deal." She turns her gaze back to Lucy to see that she was multiple feet away already. But Lucy had nowhere to go now, the column presses into her back, cool stone almost burning her. She watches them with eyes made of fire, trying to keep hold of the anger that made her so numb to the situation. They advance on her again, "Oh, very sneaky, Lucy, but you aren't going to get away from us. At least keep your dignity and take it like a man."

Her hands feel for stuff behind her, anything that could get her out of this…that's when her fingers wrap around the icy shaft of a lone chalkboard pointer stick that some teacher must have accidently left out. She feels the hard wood and her heart begins to speed up. They were getting so much closer, any closer and they would be upon her. The time was now. _"You really should stand up for yourself more, Luce." _His words play in her mind on replay, revolving around her head and digging into her brain. Is this what he meant? Through violence? Did she even have what it takes? She didn't have time to question herself for Minerva's fist was rising in the air, a threat she has come to know so well. It was now or never, and never sure was a long time. So, without further ado, Lucy's fingers wrap fully around the pointer stick, and she whips it around in a large arc straight at Minerva's head.

It makes contact with a loud _crack!_ Blood sprays everywhere, all over Lucy and Minerva's minions. The two girls are too surprised at Lucy's sudden action to make a sound. Minerva lets out a cry of pain and crumples to her knees, bringing up her hands to cover up the large gash that now gushes blood down her face. Lucy stares down mortified at her tormentor, surprised that she had committed such a misdeed. She glances at the makeshift weapon in the palm of her right hand and to her shock the thing had snapped into two pieces. It had been in perfect condition when she used it! That must mean…she hit Minerva so hard with it that it broke over her head. She stares down back at Minerva with huge eyes, seeing her moaning and groaning from the pain. If she didn't get to the infirmary soon, she would most likely bleed out right here on the ground.

Without another single thought process, Lucy was running in the direction she came from, zooming straight past the crumpled Minerva and her frightened friends. She goes as fast as her legs would let her, almost falling when she turns a corner. She makes it to the school doors, pushing them open and practically leaping down the stairs. Almost tripping her and there, Lucy rushes off to nowhere, wanting nothing but to escape the growing satisfaction in the pit of her stomach.

OoOoOoO

Natsu finds her underneath the slide of the rundown playground later that evening with her knees pulled up to her chest and her face covered by them. Her body was stiff from staying in the same position for hours outside in the cold, and she still wore her now dirty school uniform. Her arms and hands lay limp beside her, and her golden hair was knotted and patted down by sweat. He cocks a pink eyebrow before rushing over, getting on his knees in front of the opening. It was too small under the slide for him to fit with her so instead he reaches a hand in to gently caress her knee. He feels her shiver at the touch but other than that she does not respond. He brings over his other hand, trusting his knees to hold up his weight, and places it on her back. He runs it up and down to comfort her and says softly, "Luce?" Her hand twitches and she slowly lets her head lift up. Her face was a mess of tears cutting through makeup, her eyes were a puffy red, and her forehead was shining with sweat. They both stare at each other, soft brown meeting hard onyx, before her chin begins to tremble. His eyes go huge as the tears start up again and pour down her face in torrents. Sobs escape her throat as she throws herself into his arms, grabbing onto him for dear life. She buries her face in his neck and weeps, drenching him in salty fluid. He goes still and stares straight ahead. She smells of cherry blossoms and spice, a scent so pleasing to him he finds himself pressing his nose into her hair. His arms circles around her tightly, as if to protect her from the world around them. He holds her as she shudders and shakes, kissing her hair and whispering sweet words to her. He didn't know what had happened at school that made her so horribly sad, but Natsu was already feeling a rage so fiery that it scorched his insides and made him see red. What kind of monster could hurt such a beautiful and delicate creature like Lucy? Not even he, a creature of the night, a wolf in sheep's clothing, an animalistic demon, would dare do anything to upset her. Already, even though it has only been a few days since he met her, he was feeling a strong, ferocious possessive feeling towards her.

And no one messes with his things.

He rubs her back to reassure her that she was safe now and he presses his lips against her head again, "It's okay, Luce. I'm here, I'll protect you, I swear." He murmurs into her hair and tightens his grip. He feels her nod against his chest and she pulls away from him to look up at him with wet eyes and damp cheeks. He smiles down at her softly and wipes the stray tears away. Her eyelids flutter shut as he clears away the liquid right underneath her eyes and she sighs ever so tenderly. He then reaches up to brush some blonde strands from her forehead and those big brown eyes open again. They hold an unfamiliar expression, something that Natsu has never seen her display before. It was a devotion that is found in the eyes and heart of a soldier, it was a serenity only found in the eyes of the enlightened. She felt so safe in his arms, as if the entire cruel world has faded into nothingness around them. Her entire world was his friendly onyx eyes and bittersweet smile, and she didn't want to leave.

Lucy's grip becomes vise-like and she says in a wavering voice, "Natsu…do you like me?"

His eyes widen. Where had this question come from? "Of course, Lucy."

Her eyes narrow dangerously, "Are you sure? You're not just playing me? You're not using me? You're not-" She is cut off by Natsu's index finger coming to her lips to sush her. She shivers the icy touch and resists the strange and sudden urge to let her tongue snake out to touch the appendage. She looks at his hand before her eyes have no choice but to flit back up to Natsu's. They widen at what they find there.

Anger. Pure, boiling anger makes those eyes seem to glow in the heavy darkness of the playground. She tries to pull away from him but he doesn't let her. He holds onto her so forcefully it begins to hurt and she starts to whine. A low, growling sound emanates from his throat causing her to cease all movement and sound. She stares at him with huge eyes, arms and hands flat against his chest and unusable. She was still sitting on his lap, but now she was in a rather _compromising _position. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and her _area_ was pressed against his. It felt very odd to be this close to a man, something she has never done. People frighten her, yet here she was, in the arms of a man a foot taller than her and very intimidating. She has got to say she has come a long way in such a short period of time. "Don't you _dare_ accuse me of _ever_ being like those _faggots_ at your school." He snarls out, sounding almost animalistic. She gasps faintly at his vulgar language, having never once said such a horrible term. "I would _never_ abuse you like that, understand?" She does not answer, she was too frightened. "Understand?!" He repeats, louder this time.

"Yes!" She exclaims while staring at his chest. She just wanted to get out of these restricting clothes and have a Natsu that was his normal, carefree self. She would say anything to get that back. She could practically feel his eyes boring holes into her face yet still she refuses to look at him.

"Lucy."

She doesn't respond.

"Luce, look at me." He sounds much calmer this time around so she lets her eyes return to his. His eyes are normal again, and the snarl was gone. He unwraps one of his arms from her waist to touch her chin delicately, "Please understand that you are everything to me." He whispers and her brown eyes widen again. Her heart, which was already speeding like a rabbit, picks up the pace and is almost painful. Her face goes a beautiful and bashful pink and she looks away again. He was so blunt!

"I-I…" She begins in a small voice, "have never had someone care for me like this…"

Natsu smiles at her, a thing that was a little quirk at the edge of his lips, "Well, welcome to knowing me. From now on, nobody will ever hurt you. I promise you."

The pink flares to a bright red and her jaw drops. _Nobody has said that before to me! What do I do, what do I do? Do I thank him? Yell at him and tell him I don't need someone to protect me? Ha, we all know that's a lie…or should I…should I thank him with a…a kiss? _She thought to herself, a thousand questions zooming through her head, and suddenly she blurts out, "But it was her that needed the protection."

Natsu looks quizzically at her, "What do you mean, Lucy?"

In the time they were talking, he had loosened his grip on her. Now she could move her arms. She lifts them up and places them around his neck gently. Her skin tingles enjoyably where it meets his. She begins to play with his surprisingly soft pink locks, suddenly feeling very subdued, "I did what you told me to do, Natsu. I stood up for myself and got into a whole lot of shit. I'll most likely be expelled from school if she blabs and she probably will just to see me suffer."

Natsu blinks a few times before a tiny smile replaces the frown that came to his face, "You finally stood up for yourself? Great!"

Lucy lets out an annoyed sound, "No, not great Natsu! I might get into a whole lot of trouble for this!"

"What exactly did you do?"

"You're missing the point."

"Tell me!" He practically begs with big puppy eyes. She takes one look and sighs heavily. She was always a sucker for puppy eyes.

"Fine!" She exclaims irritably, "I broke one of those wooden sticks the teachers use to point things out on the board over her head. She was bleeding real bad when I bolted." Explains Lucy with a hefty sigh.

Natsu's onyx eyes go huge and he stares at her for a moment, before he says, "Well…let's hope she's dead."

"Natsu!"

"What?"

Lucy sighs heavily once again and looks at him with narrowed eyes, "Anyway, enough about my day, how was homeschooling?"

Natsu shrugs with a nonchalant face, "Eh, it was fine I guess. Gray's like a dictator when it comes to academics. He wouldn't let me eat lunch until I got every question right on a mock exam." He shivers at the thought before smirking at her.

Lucy giggles and coils a strand of Natsu's pink hair around her finger. She tugs on it lightly with a small smile, "That sucks. Well, at least you don't have to worry about violence."

This makes Natsu laugh loudly, a sound that was music to her ears, "Are you kidding me? Gray beats me with a stick if I don't get something right!"

Lucy laughs along with him, loving that she was getting to know more about him. She was so glad she had decided to take a walk outside that night days ago, she was so thankful that she got to meet such a wonderful, caring man. Just as he said before, he was now everything to her. She sure didn't give a rat's ass about anything else. Her father was an abusive son of a bitch, she had zero friends at school, and she had no great grades to be proud of. The world has long since become dead to her, but with Natsu's help, she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Once the two cease laughing, Lucy lies her head on his chest and giggles, "My face must be a mess. I put concealer on it to hide the bruises, but all that crying, sweating and running I did really screwed it all up." She freezes as she feels his hand rub up and down her back, yet she quickly relaxes again. It was such a soothing feeling, and her eyes slowly drift shut. She felt so at peace here in his arms. She didn't want to leave; she wanted to stay here forever and ever. This moment was so perfect, and with Lucy's rotten luck she knew it would probably end soon.

Natsu's nose goes back into her hair and he takes a whiff, making her shiver delightedly. His index finger of his right hand begins to draw patterns into her back and she sighs softly, "You look fine, stupid. Don't worry about that."

"I really should…wash it off…" She murmurs softly into his chest, today's events really making a toll on her energy. Adding on Natsu's soothing voice and movements it was just a double whammy.

He shushes her, "Sush…you look perfect the way you are, Luce." His grip tightens on her again and she plays with his hair for a second time. Every time the tips of her fingers would brush against the tender skin of his neck, she would feel him shiver. Every time they touched, she could feel lightning rush through the contact, startling her. She has never felt this feeling before…this was all so new to her-and truth be told, she quite liked new.

When she gets more adventurous, running her hand further up into the mess of his salmon colored hair, she can't help but smile. She strokes the locks, "Your hair is surprisingly soft, Natsu…I thought with the spikes and all it would be rough…"

Suddenly, Natsu's eyes go wide, surprising Lucy. A big smile comes to his face and he says excitedly, "Speaking of 'rough', Lucy, I wanted to show you something I found nearby!" He launches to his feet, still holding onto Lucy but this time he lets his hands go lower to support her more. Her face explodes with red as she feels his arms touching her rear end and she begins to protest but is cut off by him saying avidly, "You'll love it! Off we go!" Then he begins to run out of the playground with her in his arms. She squeaks and holds onto him for dear life with huge eyes, _I've never been carried before!_

"N-Natsu!" She squeals loudly, "P-put m-me down!" Her demands are ignored as Natsu jogs, easily carrying her. _He must be very strong…_ Her eyes drift down to his arms, as if hoping to catch a glimpse of the muscle underneath. Her mind creates millions of images, many of him flexing and even some of him lying half-naked on her bed and gesturing for her to come forward. Her heart races at the thought of the impossible and she looks away from him. "Where are you taking me?" She questions in his ear.

"You'll see! It's super cool!" He says in that childish voice he mastered so well. She rolls her eyes at his behavior and lays her head down on his shoulder, letting him take her wherever it was he was heading.

OoOoOoO

Gray sits in front of the TV in his living room, a cigarette in his mouth and a beer in his hand. How troublesome it had been to hide that body last night…he had given Natsu quite an earful about how irresponsible he was when it came to his eating habits. Of course, as usual, Natsu apologized profusely and begged him to let him back inside the house-since you know vampires can't enter homes without permission. When Gray let him in, Natsu had also asked of him to hide the body. When Gray got there, there was barely any 'body' left! All there was were guts and meat set on display like some sort of twisted freak show. It had taken Gray _five hours_ to clear away all evidence and tamper with the left over blood stains into the concrete and brick wall. He had taken some random animal's blood, sometimes Natsu felt like being a 'vegetarian', and dumped it all over the place, making sure to coat it in its scent just in case police dogs came sniffing about. After all of this, Gray himself was covered head to toe in animal and human blood and wanted nothing more than to just go back to his shitty apartment and take a nice, long shower.

The serial killer still shivers at the thought as he flips through channels, taking a long drag. He blows the smoke out through his nose and watches it as the grey gas floats into the ceiling and disappears from view. His ebony eyes return to the television and he continues to flip through channels.

"_Get the-"_

"_We must stop-"_

"_Horrific scene of brutality-"_

"_Hahaha!"_

"_Vicious crime-"_

"_-wild animal or another victim of the Blood Killer?"_

He stops on that one, shooting forward with wide eyes. Another victim? He hasn't killed anyone since that hooker in downtown Magnolia. Maybe the media is just trying to put a name on something they have no knowledge of…He turns up the volume and takes another breath from his cigarette, "_Authorities found what seems to be the leftovers of either a frightening animal attack or another victim of what locals dub the Blood Killer. This man has killed five people in the past month; the populace is scared for their safety and the safety of their children…_" Gray scoffs at this. He would never harm a child, or an honest working citizen. Prostitutes were different. He couldn't say they weren't people, but he had no sympathy for women who would so willingly give up their bodies like that. He was raised far differently from that. He directs his attention to the anchor's voice again, "_Police have yet to give out any real information about the human remains found today in the local landfill other than there seems to be _bite_ marks on the torso and what is left of the intestines of the man…in further news…_"

His hands grip his knees tightly as he turns the TV off. This was going to hell; this was all going to hell. They made a mistake coming here. Magnolia was a big city where crime was frequent, but even serial killers shook it to its roots. He had planned for the two of them to stay here for only a few years, but with the way Natsu kept sneaking out every night to see that girl he could see that very soon he might lose his best friend to the very thing he was afraid of. "God fucking _damn it_!" He bellows as he picks up the light side table and chucks it across the room. It hits the wall and breaks into pieces with a loud _crack_! He stands there, panting deeply and seeing red. They had to move on, leave. They might have only been here a few days and it might be suspicious to the neighbors but he didn't care. They would just think they were frightened of the 'Blood Killer', as any normal human would be. He runs a hand through his thinning raven black hair and huffs angrily. Where was Natsu? Probably off whoring around with that blonde haired bitch-_no…none of those thoughts Gray. You went to counseling; you got those feelings under control. She isn't a bitch, she was actually quite nice. Calm down, Gray, calm down._

"Juvia is afraid for Gray-sama." The sweet, timid voice speaks up from behind him. His eyes go huge and his body goes rigged. Not this again… "Gray-sama should lie down and let Juvia take care of him." He does not dare turn. He knew what he would see-but the voice was too tempting. Flashes of azure hair and adoring sea-blue eyes run through his mind, and the musical laughter dances in his ears. He shakes his head and plugs his ears, trying so desperately to get the sound out. This always happened when he was alone… "Why won't Gray-sama look at Juvia? Does Gray-sama h-hate Juvia?" He could hear tears in her sweet, sweet voice. She was crying! Why wasn't he doing anything? Where was he again? What was he doing? _Juvia!_ He whips around, a look of worry on his face. That look quickly morphs into horror as his eyes take in the disgusting scene before him. The once beautiful girl is now rotting in death, her usual tan skin now green and black. Her flesh hangs off of her bones as if she was once fat and lost a lot of weight in a very short time. Patches of her gorgeous blue hair were ripped out, and in some places skin and skull was taken with it. Her lips, the ones that once touched his and whispered sweet words in his ear during nights of lovemaking, were gone, showing rotting teeth and bloody gums. One arm was hanging by only a tendon and was missing a hand.

But her eyes, so beautifully colored, were perfectly normal and filled with tears. She weeps silently, "Why did Gray-sama leave Juvia? Did he hate her so much to just get up and leave? Tell Juvia! _Tell her!_" She screeches.

That was the last straw for Gray. He lets out a horrified screech and runs straight at the corpse, wanting nothing more than to hurt it, to kill it, to completely destroy it. It dissipates in a puff of smoke so much like the gas that comes from his cigarette, leaving him utterly alone and cold inside. He stares straight ahead yet sees nothing, eyes holding no emotion. He collapses to his knees with a groan and kneels over, pressing his forehead to the ground, "I-I'm so sorry…Juvia please forgive me…" He begs, the tears running down his face in hot waves.

"_Never."_

OoOoOoO

She couldn't see anything. She was surrounded by darkness on all sides. She could feel him there, behind her, touching her every now and then as they walked forward. He was leading her somewhere she didn't know but she didn't care. She trusted him very deeply, so she lets him lead the way. "Natsu, how much longer?" She whines loudly.

"We're almost there Luce!" He says happily. He was very excited to show his best friend the cool place he found. He has his hands covering her eyes as he takes her over a small bridge, their footsteps echoing on the wooden planks. She holds out her arms in front of her to feel her way as if he would let her bump into something. He scoffs at her lightly and draws her to a halt. She lets her arms fall back to her sides as she waits patiently for him to uncover the area around them to her. He leans his head over to her ear and whispers, "Ready?" His warm breath dances across her ear lobe and she shivers delightedly. She tries to cover it as just the cold getting to her but she hears him chuckle softly, making her face heat up.

"Y-yeah." She damns her stutter to hell and with giddy excitement she opens up her eyes into his hands. He slowly removes them, as if trying for dramatic effect and the sight that she sees is absolutely breathtaking. They were currently standing on a small, Japanese style bridge that overlooks a tiny creek that was packed with Koi fish of all different sizes and colors. All around them were a few trees and fences all leading up to the back of the apartment complex. Why hasn't she ever seen this before? In all her years of living here, why hasn't she once come back here? Well, now she was glad she was always either busy or too gone in her imaginary world to care, because if she had seen it before it wouldn't nearly be as special. The moonlight shines down on the two teens, illuminating both of their faces. She turns to look up into his dark eyes, the blush on her face still evident. Her mouth was a tiny circle and her hands were on the railing of the bridge. Her big brown eyes hold such strong affectionate feelings that his widen in surprise. Her surprised look quickly turns to one of serenity and she whispers quietly, as if afraid to ruin the moment if she spoke too loud, "Oh, Natsu…this is so beautiful…"

He smiles down at her, "That's what I was hoping you'd say." He throws his arm across her shoulders and pulls her close, "I found this place when I was just waltzing around. Don't tell anyone, since _technically_ it is illegal for us to be here."

This makes Lucy giggle and snuggle into his embrace, feeling an odd feeling teetering between extreme friendliness and…'like liking'. She looks up at the sky, just barely being able to make out the stars since the city was so close. She could make out the stars of her favorite Celestial being, Leo the Lion. She lifts her hand and points to the grouping of stars, "That's Leo the Lion, otherly known as the King of the Zodiacs in Japanese and Chinese cultures." She tells him the history with a sparkle in her eyes. She really loved the stars. He watches her in fascination, loving the way her face opens up and brightens and how her body relaxes in his arm as she speaks avidly about the celestial beings and their meanings. His grip tightens on her in a show of affection and she stops talking. She looks at him with an adorably bashful look that makes her look so innocent that it just about drives him insane, "I'm sorry, you probably are really bored with all this talk."

Natsu shakes his head, "Not at all! I think it's kind of cute to watch you talk about something you have such strong feelings for." Her face goes red at his 'cute' comment and she looks away from him. "Tell me, how did you come to know all of this?"

Lucy doesn't answer for a moment, which makes Natsu think he struck a painful cord within her. Just as he was about to apologize for bringing up a topic that may cause her emotional distress, she begins in a faint whisper, "My mama taught me all there is to know about them…my papa always told me it was a waste of time, but she still taught them to me anyway. That was when we lived in the country farther out, on a farm owned by grandma, so we could see the stars far more clearly than here where there are blinding lights and harsh pollution."

He watches her with huge eyes. She was opening up to him so deeply, and all this time he has done nothing but lie to her. About his life, about Gray, about _his problem_. He wore the face of a human, spoke like one, even felt the same feelings as one, but he could never be one. He would always hunger for the blood and flesh of both the innocent and the wicked. He couldn't drag Lucy into that, he knew this well…but even so, he couldn't stay away from her. Her laugh was music to his ears; her chocolate brown eyes melted him, her touches left him breathless. Lucy Heartphilia was a drug, and he was addicted beyond the point of no return. No rehabilitation could help him; no army could keep him away from this mortal girl who had managed to destroy the metal barriers around his inky black heart. He lived-or rather _unlived_- for her now, and truth be told, he was happy in doing so.

She continues, jarring him out of his thoughts, "But when my mama died from a strange disease in her lungs, papa refused to let me ever study up on stars again, so my knowledge isn't completely up to date. Well, we moved to this shithole. This all happened in the same year, about eight years ago. I was nine when this happened."

Natsu frowns deeply, "I am so sorry for your loss. I wish I could've met your mother. She sounds like an amazing woman."

Lucy nods and sniffles a bit, but she holds tears back, "She really was. She was so strong, beautiful and smart…apparently I got none of these genes. I don't even see why you hang out with a geek like me." She didn't want to sound like she was whining for attention or anything, but she just wanted to put that out there.

She hears Natsu make a low humorous sound and she pulls away from him with an angry look on her face. She just told him about her dead mother and he _laughs_?! She should have known he was like everybody else, laughing at another's sorrow instead of helping them. Just as she was about to turn away and run off with her nose in the air, he grabs her shoulder and his laughter dies down, "Hey, don't take that laughter the wrong way, Luce. I'm just laughing about how _incredibly wrong_ you are!" He reaches up and ruffles her hair with a big grin plastered on his face, "Not beautiful? Lucy, you're gorgeous! I don't see why you don't notice this! You have the perfect face, the way it's shaped and the way everything isn't crooked and flawed-and not to sound like a pervert, but you have _amazing knock-_" She covers up his mouth.

"H-hey! No commenting about my breasts, okay?!" She uses her other arm to cover where her breasts would be as if afraid he was looking, which at the moment he was. She narrows her eyes at him and he gives her an impish grin.

"Anyway, you're skinny, not too skinny, you still have some flab on you with is perfectly normal! Nobody wants a pile of bones! You have great legs, too." He looks down, his grin sliding into a sly smirk. She blushes a bright red.

"S-s-stop checking me out!" She exclaims, embarrassed by the way Natsu was acting.

He only chuckles at her, "What? I am a blunt son of a bitch that will tell you the truth. And the truth is you're gorgeous. Those bitches at your school are only jealous that they can't be as pretty and down-to-earth as you are." He ruffles her hair again playfully and returns his arm around her shoulders, drawing a squeak from the girl. He presses her into his side and looks down at her with a warmth in his eyes that makes her heart race. She looks away from him and pokes her index fingers together bashfully, trying to keep her mind occupied.

Suddenly, her face brightens with a look of one who just came up with a genius idea. Lucy pulls away from him, making him pout and her chuckle, and she takes her bag off of her shoulder. She unclasps the lock and reaches inside the darkness, searching for one object. She smiles hugely as her hand closes around it and she pulls out a pink camo pocket knife. Her father gave this to her when he actually cared about her well-being. Natsu's onyx eyes widen at the sight of it, and she flips it open with ease, it being obvious she has done this many times before. She looks up at him with sweet brown eyes and says, "Natsu, let's make a blood pact!"

"Eh?" He says, surprised that she would think up an idea that would bring pain to herself. Of course, there was the other issue too…just at the mention of blood, he could feel his fangs beginning to poke his bottom lip and he shuts his mouth quickly.

She brings the knife to her palm, "Just one quick jerk, okay? The pain goes away quickly, trust me, I've been cut plenty of times to know!" She jokes in a lighthearted tone, "Aw, don't be such a sourpuss." She says to his look of strain. She rolls her eyes at him, "It won't hurt. After I do mine, I'll do yours since you're so scared!" She sticks out her tongue and before Natsu can stop her, she drags the tip of the sharp blade across her palm. She hisses in pain yet he doesn't hear it.

He was too caught up in the glistening red that now covers her palm.

Before he can stop himself, he takes a delicate sniff of the air. His sharp senses pick up the flaring and mouthwatering scent of metallic _gold_…She repeats his name, she…who was she again? Something that was important to him…who cares? What he cared about what the beautiful, blossoming red that drips. He watches a drop fall and splatter across the wooden ground. His long, slender tongue darts out as if to lick it up and instead touches his pink lips. The smell becomes stronger as his hunter senses kick in and before he even knows it, his hand launches out and grabs the wrist of his prey. He hears her squeak and protest, but he was used to that. All of them struggled when it came down to it, not one went quietly, and this one would be no different. He licks his lips again, and his eyes flash and ugly mustard-yellow. He leans his face down, taking a deeper sniff. His tongue slides out like a snake from its pit and slowly licks up the liquid. He feels his prey shiver and his member twitches. He could smell her…the familiar smell of cherry blossoms and spice…where had he smelt that before? He licks more liquid into his mouth and moans at the euphoric taste.

"_Natsu!_" How does this woman know him? He never gives his name to anyone…except…he feels her tugging away and he snarls loudly, for the first time looking at her face. His eyes widen at what he finds. Instead of the usual look of fear that is evident on all of his preys' faces, she had a look of anger on her's. Her gorgeous brown eyes are narrowed menacingly and her plump ink lips are drawn back in a deadly snarl. This woman was most intriguing…and definitely gorgeous. Maybe he could devour her in other ways too… "_Natsu, I swear to God if you don't snap out of whatever fucked up trance you're in, I'll stab you!_"His prey was threatening him too? He quite liked this…

_Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop._ What? Where was this coming from? Why was his mind telling him to stop? He wanted to suck out every last ounce of life fluid inside of this woman and make love to her as he does so. _Stop. Stop. Stop. This is Lucy. Remember who you are. This is Lucy. Stop. Stop. Stop._ He shakes his head furiously. Lucy? Who was that? Was that…this girl? Lucy…Heartphilia…age 17…blonde hair…best friend…Lucy!

"Nnng!" He exclaims and stumbles away from the maiden. He sees her staring at him, anger now changing to worry. She says something, but he can't hear. He is too busy shaking his head and muttering to himself, "Stop. Stop. Stop…" Suddenly, he lifts up in head in one quick motion, locking his monstrous eyes on her. She freezes, covering up her bleeding hand. Her eyes are huge with the look of surprise. His fangs muffle his voice as he growls out, "Sorry."

With that, Natsu is gone, disappearing into the night and leaving Lucy there all alone on the bridge, having to deal with the fact that she was almost eaten by a beast she calls her best friend.

OoOoOoO

Her name is Virginia Gates. About 5"4 with long blonde hair and the air of a southern belle to her. Her smile can brighten up anybody's day, and her cheesy jokes can make even the most serious person laugh. She is on her way home to an empty apartment. Her boyfriend was off probably screwing another girl. When she had found out, she was heartbroken but he was still off on his 'business trip' so she couldn't break up with him. She should have known with how often he left…she had just been so in love with him that she blindly believed everything he told her. Well, when he got home he would have anything but a 'welcome back' kiss, this she was sure of. She was going to kick him out quicker than a coyote chasing after a jackrabbit, and she couldn't wait to see the dumbfound look on his face as she slams the door shut in his face. She hums a merry tune to herself as she walks along a rather _secluded_ part of her apartment complex. As she frightened? No, she's traveled this part millions of times on darker nights than this. She walks slowly, taking in the beautiful night and nice cool air.

She didn't know that would be the greatest mistake she would ever make.

It is when she turns a corner does she hear it. The sound of rushing footsteps on grass. She quickly rivets her head to the right, stopping and starring into the darkness around her. Was it just her imagination? Who would be out at this time of night? She shrugs and continues along, albeit a little faster this time. She couldn't shake off this uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she couldn't wait to get home. She holds on tightly to her purse and keeps her eyes straight ahead, eyes on the target.

There was breathing behind her, hard and labored pants. She freezes again and turns her head just in time to see a large, clawed hand coming towards her. It warps around her face and shoves her head directly into the wall. She sees stars and coughs up crimson. The blow to her head makes her vision blurry and brain in shambles. Her dainty hands come up for a weak fight against the man that was assaulting her, but as thought it was useless and they fall back to her sides. She shakes violently, terror seeping through her. She can do nothing but sob softly as she feels lips press against her neck. They were cold, ice cold as if they belonged to the dead. She shivers and whimpers as a wet, probing tongue snakes out as traces along her skin. Did this man plan to violate her? She sobs harder as his chest presses against her's and his other hand comes up to grip her shoulder.

That's when the claws sink into her flesh. She screeches into his hand and trashes again, yet it lacks strength. The claws continue to rip and tear her skin and clothing, his hand dragging across her chest. The pain was blinding, it hurt so much she could barely utter a single sound. The tongue stops moving across her skin, and suddenly something warm and hard sinks into her neck. She lets out a distressed sound, vision blinded by tears. She is forced to watch as this man, this man with such peculiar pink hair, rips out her throat without the slightest expression on his beast-like face. The thick blood drains from her in a waterfall, coating the both of them in sticky crimson. She gurgles out a noise, eyes rolling into the back of her head and her breathing begins to cease. How is it that she dies this quickly? Has her life really been reduced to a short 25 years?

Natsu smirks as he finishes his meal, letting go of the woman's face and letting her limp body slide to the ground. His hand was covered in the woman's saliva and snot. He simply wipes it off on his pants and struts away, a satisfied smirk on his face and an unsatisfied bulge in his pants, with one destination in mind.

_Lucy._

**OoOoOoO**

**I know, ending REALLY SUCKED but I was half asleep when I finished it and I was busy watching Rango. It's an American cartoon film. The rattlesnake in it is AWESOME! Is it possible to fall in love with an animal? Hm…he's got a sexy voice…**

**Anyway, next on the update list: Circus de Fairy Tail**

**See you all later!**

**PARADISE.x**


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